An Illustrious Career For Charlie Craig

Celebrating A Century of NCAA Track & Field Championships

An Illustrious Career For Charlie Craig

Charlie Craig not only found a new school in the fall of 1962, but a new event as well – the triple jump.

Newly enrolled at Fresno State, Craig was a 23-11¾ (7.31m) long jumper from Fresno City College before the California Community College Athletic Association even had the triple jump. In fact, the event was relatively new everywhere – even the NCAA didn’t hold the event every year until 1959.

Also new in 1963 was the NCAA College Division, a meet for smaller schools that predated the current Division I/II/III setup (larger schools then competed in the University Division).

The College Division was so strong in the new event that its 1-2 from that meet duplicated the finish at the University Division with Norm Tate of North Carolina Central beating Craig, 51-0¼ (15.55m) to 50-2¼ (15.29m).

The Tate/Craig duo returned in 1964 with a different order of finish as Craig won the College Division meet at 51-9¼ (15.78m), before taking the University Division competition with a wind-aided 51-8¾ (15.76m) to win by more than a foot as Tate was third.

Craig – who earlier in the season had set a collegiate record of 52-4 (15.95m) – had two other marks in the meet that would have won at 51-1½ (15.58m) and 51-0¼ (15.55m).

After retiring from competition, Craig became a Hall of Fame coach, starting the Cal State Bakersfield program from scratch in 1972. Under his tutelage the Roadrunner program had 18 NCAA Division II champions and 195 All-Americans. Craig was inducted into the USTFCCCA Coaches Hall of Fame in 2008.

posted: October 17, 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
Rhoden Keeps Historic Company

George Rhoden is 1 of just 2 men in NCAA DI history to win 3 consecutive 400/440 titles at the Outdoor Championships. He did so from 1950 to 1952 & added 1951 220 for a double.

“Kori Monster” Crushed 400H CR In 2013
June 7, 2013

Kori Carter set a collegiate record in the 400 Hurdles of 53.21 at the 2013 NCAA Division I Outdoor Track & Field Championships. She won that title & took runner-up honors in the 100H.

“Moon” Rose To Occasion In High Jump

Irv “Moon” Mondschein won back-to-back high jump titles at the NCAA Outdoor Track & Field Championships in 1947 and 1948. He also finished as the national runner-up in 1949.

Rice’s Cavanaugh Ruled The NCAA Shot

Regina Cavanaugh was the first woman in NCAA DI history to win three career shot put titles at the NCAA Outdoor Track & Field Championships. She did so consecutively from 1985 to 1987.

Brown Soared To HJ Meet Records

Reynaldo Brown won two career high jump titles at the NCAA Division I Outdoor T&F Championships, which included a pair of meet records (He topped 2.23m (7-4) in 1973).