For The Helds, The Javelin Is A Family Affair

Celebrating A Century of NCAA Track & Field Championships

For The Helds, The Javelin Is A Family Affair

Bud Held of Stanford was a brilliant javelin thrower. But his true genius was sharing a design with his brother who would become the world’s foremost maker of javelins.

In 1950, Held became the first of only two three-time NCAA javelin champions (Patrik Boden, who competed at Texas and holds the current collegiate record in the event, was the other from 1989 to 1991). Shortly after graduating, Held began making his own javelins. The only catch was he couldn’t sell them, due to amateur rules at the time.

That’s when older brother Dick, also a Stanford grad, became involved, and the implement has never been the same. Bud threw one of his brother’s new inventions in 1953 and surpassed the 80-meter (262-5) mark for the first time to become the first American to set a world record in the event.

In fact, over the next 25 years, each and every world record javelin throw was made with a javelin created by the Held family.

Even the landscape of the NCAA javelin changed: By 1955, none of Bud’s winning throws would even score as the Held javelins were in prime usage.

Dick Held was also instrumental in the 1986 redesign of the men’s javelin. “The IAAF rule makers tried for several years, without much success, to modify the javelin specifications so as to lessen the danger,” Bud said. “Though Dick smiled with satisfaction at their failure, he eventually explained to them how to change the specifications to make the javelin a safer sport.”

posted: July 11, 2020
1921-2021
The NCAA's First Championships

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.

Memorable Moments
O-H-I- Oh, Reynolds Was Fast!
June 6, 1987

Butch Reynolds set a meet record in the 400 of 44.13 at the 1987 NCAA Division I Outdoor T&F Championships. He barely missed his own collegiate record of 44.10.

Fynes Won NCAA Titles For Two Programs

Sevatheda Fynes won three career titles at the NCAA DI Outdoor T&F Championships. What’s even more impressive is that she did it for two programs – Eastern Michigan & Michigan State.

El Moutawakel Had Legendary Year In 1984

Nawal El Moutawakel set a meet record in the 400 hurdles of 55.84 at the 1984 NCAA Division I Outdoor Track & Field Championships. She also won Olympic gold that year in the event.

Florida State’s England Kicked To 1500 CR
June 15, 2008

Hannah England set a collegiate record in the 1500 of 4:06.19 at the 2008 NCAA DI Outdoor T&F Championships & led two other women under 4:08 in one of the meet’s fastest finals.