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.
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.
Two Laps To Glory For Everett
Mark Everett set a meet record of 1:44.70 in the 800 Meters at the 1990 NCAA Division I Outdoor Track & Field Championships.
Brooks Made NCAA Shot Put History
Tia Brooks won back-to-back shot put titles at the NCAA Division I Outdoor Track & Field Championships and broke the collegiate indoor record in the event in 2013.
Scott One-Upped Himself In 1978
Steve Scott of UC Irvine won the 1500-meter title at the 1978 NCAA Division I Outdoor Track & Field Championships, one year after finishing runner-up at the same meet as an NCAA Division II athlete.
Sheffield Won An Incredible 400H Final
LaTanya Sheffield of San Diego State won the 400 Hurdles at the 1985 NCAA Division I Outdoor Track & Field Championships with an American record and collegiate record of 54.64.
Bjorklund Led Calvary Under 6-Mile MR In 1971
For someone who never raced longer than 2 miles in high school, Garry Bjorklund took an immediate liking to even longer distances when he arrived at Minnesota.
Okagbare Mined For History In 2010
Blessing Okagbare is the only woman in the history of the NCAA Division I Outdoor Track & Field Championships to win both the 100 Meters and long jump!
Kiss The Competition Goodbye
Balazs Kiss won four consecutive hammer throw title at the NCAA Division I Outdoor Track & Field Championships and still holds the collegiate record in the event!
LSU’s Duncan Roared To 200 History
Kimberlyn Duncan was the only woman in the history of the NCAA Division I Outdoor Track & Field Championships to win three consecutive 200-meter titles, doing so between 2011 and 2013.
Brookins Hurdled To All-Time Marks
Charles Brookins won back-to-back 220H titles at the NCAA Outdoor Championships and clocked an all-time world best mark in 1923!
Flo Knows Winning Triple Jump Titles
Edrick Floréal won three consecutive triple jump titles at the NCAA Division I Outdoor Track & Field Championships between 1988 and 1990.