O-H-I- Oh, Reynolds Was Fast!

Celebrating A Century of NCAA Track & Field Championships

O-H-I- Oh, Reynolds Was Fast!

June 6, 1987

Butch Reynolds of Ohio State saw something for the first time all year coming into the homestretch of the 400 meters at the 1987 NCAA Division I Outdoor Track & Field Championships at LSU’s Bernie Moore Track Stadium in Baton Rouge, Louisiana.

That “something” was competition in the form of 1985 NCAA champ Roddie Haley of Arkansas, who was even with Reynolds off the final turn.

Reynolds had become a sensation during the outdoor season, lowering his PR from 45.37 to 44.10 – not just a collegiate record, but the fastest ever by anyone at low altitude. None of his races that spring were close.

But the Buckeye poured on the gas, only easing up as he crossed the finish line in 44.13 for a new meet record. UCLA’s Danny Everett (44.47) overtook Haley (44.82) for second place.

Reynolds almost broke the meet record of 44.30 in the heats, running an eye-popping 44.43 while winning by more than one second. The fastest NCAA prelim previously was 44.74 by Washington State’s Gabriel Tiacoh in 1986 – the year he set the MR of 44.30 in the final.

“I hope this win and my times prove that I am a world-class athlete and I can go with the best,” said Reynolds. “I really feel that the world record of Lee Evans (43.86) is within my reach now.”

It would take a little more than a year, but Reynolds got the WR with a 43.29 that lasted for 11 years until Michael Johnson ran 43.18 in 1999.

posted: February 11, 2021
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
LSU Hurdle Dominance Yet To Be Matched

Tananjalyn Stanley set a meet record of 12.70 in the 100 Hurdles at the 1989 NCAA DI Outdoor T&F Championships, which jump-started LSU’s dominance in the event over the next few years.

Barrett Scared Long-Standing MR In 2013
June 8, 2013

Katrena Johnson set a collegiate record in the high jump at the 1985 NCAA Division I Outdoor Track & Field Championships and led a 1-2-3 Arizona sweep!

Bell Rang True In Long Jump

Greg Bell won back-to-back long jump titles at the NCAA Outdoor Track & Field Championships and broke a meet record in 1957!

Stanford Romped To National Title in 1928

Stanford won the team title at the 1928 NCAA Outdoor Track & Field Championships with a then-meet record score of 72 points. Eric Krenz (pictured) led the way with 18 team points.

Smith Jumped Her Way Into Elite Company

Trecia-Kaye Smith won three career titles at the NCAA Division I Outdoor Track & Field Championships with two of those in the long jump, another in the triple jump.