Reese Left Her Mark On NCAA LJ
Brittney Reese of Ole Miss had big aspirations entering the 2008 NCAA Division I Outdoor Track & Field Championships at Drake Stadium in Des Moines, Iowa.
Her aim was about as lofty as they get – the collegiate record of 6.99m (22-11¼) by Jackie Joyner that had stood since 1985.
A dominating afternoon by Reese didn’t end with the CR, but it did produce a series of leaps that remains the best in meet history.
Even though Reese was the yearly world leader at 6.93m (22-9), she got off to a shaky start, sitting in eighth place after Round 1 at 6.11m (20-0½). But Reese found her groove in Round 2 with a jump of 6.75m (22-1¾) that put her ahead of Jacksonville’s Natasha Harvey, who had led with a wind-aided 6.65m (21-10).
In Round 3, Reese essentially ended the competition by matching her PR at 22-9, just short of the meet record of 6.94m (22-9¼) set by Sheila Echols in 1987. Her biggest potential threat – defending champ Rhonda Watkins of UCLA – ended the day with three fouls.
Reese added another 22-footer in Round 4 at 6.72m (22-0¾), becoming the first in meet history with three legal jumps over 22 feet.
No one has yet matched Reese with as many legal 22-foot efforts in the NCAA meet, and she nearly made it four.
After a foul in Round 5, Reese gathered herself for a final attempt. The measurement of 6.35m (20-10) doesn’t come close to telling the story.
“She hit the board so well and was going so fast that I think she got a little scared,” Ole Miss coach Joe Walker told David Brandt of the Clarion-Ledger (Jackson, Mississippi). “So she put her foot down early and didn’t go as far as she could have. That could have been a 23-foot jump.”
Reese’s venture into 23-foot territory would have to wait. After turning professional in the summer, she finished fourth in the Beijing Olympics. In 2009, she not only joined the 23-foot club but won the first of a record four gold medals in the World Championships. She won Olympic gold in 2012 and added silver in 2016.
The NCAA and collegiate track & field will mark a momentous milestone in the spring of 2021 -- the 100th anniversary of the NCAA Championships and with that, the NCAA Track & Field Championships. In June 1921, the University of Chicago hosted the first track & field championships in NCAA history.
This point can’t be emphasized enough: Not only was the event the first for NCAA track & field, but the first championships for any sport under the sponsorship of the NCAA.
To celebrate, over each of the next 365 days, the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) will celebrate moments, student-athletes, and coaches that have made a century’s worth of championships special. From humble beginnings to important historical milestones to the modern-day, collegiate track & field has evolved with the American society.
The 2021 edition of the NCAA Division I Outdoor Track & Field Championships begin with preliminary round action on May 27-29 in Jacksonville, Fla., and College Station, Texas. The championships final site and culmination of the celebration is slated for June 9-12, 2021 at the newly rebuilt Hayward Field in Eugene, Ore.
Iowa’s Gordon Made Competition Pay In LJ
Edward Gordon won three consecutive long jump titles at the NCAA Outdoor T&F Championships from 1929 to 1931.
Powell Capped Career With 2006 Masterpiece
Ginnie Powell won back-to-back 100H titles at the NCAA DI Outdoor T&F Championships in 2005 & 2006. Powell set a collegiate record with her 12.48 from that second year.
Fromm Rewrote NCAA Javelin History
John Fromm won back-to-back javelin titles at the NCAA Outdoor T&F Championships in 1957 & 1958. Fromm set MRs each time, hitting 257-1 (78.36m) in that second year.
Allen Sealed Oregon’s Title With 110H MR
Devon Allen won two career 110H titles at the NCAA DI Outdoor T&F Championships. Allen set a MR of 13.16 in 2014.
Deniz Won Epic Discus Final In 1983
Leslie Deniz won the discus throw at the 1983 NCAA DI Outdoor T&F Championships with a MR heave of 63.96m (209-10).
Fonville Made Shot Put History In 1947
Charles Fonville won back-to-back shot put titles at the NCAA Outdoor T&F Championships in 1947 & 1948. His best mark came in 1947 when he won at 16.73m (54‑10⅞).
Montana’s Brown Set Two MRs in 1965
Doug Brown completed the 3-mile/6-mile double at the 1965 NCAA Outdoor T&F Championships with MRs in each event: 13:40.2 in the 3-mile, 27:59.2 in the 6-mile.
Hook ‘Em, Courtney: Okolo Starred At NCAAs
Courtney Okolo won two career 400-meter titles at the NCAA DI Outdoor T&F Championships. Okolo’s 50.23 winner from 2014 is the fastest mark by a sophomore in meet history.
UTEP’s Munyala Dominated The Steeplechase
James Munyala won three consecutive steeplechase titles at the NCAA DI Outdoor T&F Championships between 1975 & 1977. He set a MR of 8:24.86 in 1976.
UCLA’s Johnson Set MRs In Back-To-Back Years
Sheena Johnson won back-to-back 400H titles at the NCAA DI Outdoor T&F Championships in 2003 & 2004. Johnson set MRs each time: 54.24 (2003) & 53.54 (2004).