Fight On, Clancy: Edwards Doubled Up With MRs
More than 40 years have passed since a man won both the 100 and 200 meters with meet records at the NCAA Division I Outdoor Track & Field Championships.
Clancy Edwards of Southern California did so in 1978 at Hayward Field in Eugene.
It was hard to tell which record triumph was more spectacular, as Edwards dethroned previous champions in both events in achieving other superlatives.
The 100 final had the most, if any, drama. Edwards got out of the blocks last but at around the 60-meter mark pulled even with two-time defending champ Harvey Glance of Auburn and rocket-starter Curtis Dickey of Texas A&M.
Edwards crossed the line first, his 10.07 MR time ahead of Dickey’s 10.11 as both were under Glance’s collegiate record of 10.15.
“That’s the way I run the 100,” said Edwards. “Always from behind.”
Edwards unleashed another hot finish in the 200, overtaking defending champ William Snoddy of Oklahoma in the homestretch to win in a meet-record 20.16 over Snoddy’s 20.28.
Edwards could claim even more than MRs as he finished the 1978 NCAA meet as CR holder in both the 100 and 200 – he had run 20.03 in earlier in the year, then the all-time low-altitude American best. Never since has a man held both the 100 and 200 CRs at any time.
Edwards had a third victory in that meet, running the third leg on Trojans’ winning 4 x 100 relay. USC had the most points among teams, but the team crown – a would-be record 27th for the program – and the 4×1 title were later vacated due to an ineligible athlete.
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.
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Nehemiah Cruises To All-Time World Best In 1979
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Northrop Doubles Down In A Unique Way
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Texas A&M’s Mills Set 440-Yard WR In 1969
Curtis Mills set a world record in the 440-yard dash at the 1969 NCAA Division I Outdoor Track & Field Championships when he won in 44.7.
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Sha’Carri Richardson of LSU broke the collegiate record in the 100 meters with her time of 10.75 at the 2019 NCAA Division I Outdoor Track & Field Championships, among other feats.