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
Hornbostel Left Mark As A Hoosier

Chuck Hornbostel of Indiana won three consecutive 800/880 titles between 1932 and 1934 and equaled the world record in the 880 yards in 1933.

LoJo Breaks Barriers, Records In Pole Vault

Lawrence Johnson of Tennessee won back-to-back pole vault titles at the NCAA Division I Outdoor Track & Field Championships with some of the largest margins of victory in meet history.

Smith Set Records That Will Last Forever

Karin Smith of Cal Poly won the javelin crown at both the 1982 NCAA Division I & NCAA Division II Outdoor Track & Field Championships with meet records that will never be broken.

Rollins Rewrites Hurdling History
June 8, 2013

Brianna Rollins capped an incredible senior season at the 2013 NCAA DI Outdoor Track & Field Championships with the two fastest times in collegiate history in the 100 Hurdles.