Texas A&M’s Mills Set 440-Yard WR In 1969
“It was a helluva run.”
Those were the words of an aspiring journalism major at Texas A&M, named Curtis Mills, describing his own world record in winning the 1969 NCAA 440-yard title.
A record would not be a surprise, though.
After all, several of the men entered in that final had PRs superior to the existing world record of 44.8: Defending champion and 1968 Olympic 400-meter gold medalist Lee Evans of San Jose State went 43.86 (44.1 converted) in Mexico City the previous fall; Larry James of Villanova had run 43.97 (44.2 converted) to earn silver in that same Mexico City final. Mills wasn’t too far behind with his 440-yard best of 45.9.
Plus, Evans made his intentions clear, “I’m here to break the world record.”
But it wasn’t Evans’ record for the taking. Instead, that belonged to Mills.
As Dick Drake of Track & Field News wrote, “But Mills was keyed to win, and he told some people so. ‘There’s no pressure on me. I still haven’t seen my name in any papers. I’m in better position than Lee Evans and Larry James. You wait and see. My name will be in the headlines.’”
Halfway through the race James held a commanding lead with Evans, a fast finisher, in fifth; Mills was “in virtual last.” As they made the turn down the homestretch Evans was in control as James began to fade. “But then Mills, with the same instant speed Evans had used to discourage James, moved past Evans.”
The result was a WR 44.7 for Mills with Evans second in 45.1 (a PR for the 440) and James fifth (45.8). Drake called it “the most shocking performance of the 1969 track season.”
The little-known native of Lufkin, Texas, was now famous. His previous claim to fame was being the first Black athlete signed to an athletic scholarship in any sport at Texas A&M – a situation he spoke about years later.
“I don’t know about how other African-Americans felt about racial issues at that time, but it wasn’t a barrier at Texas A&M” he told Rusty Burson for The 12th Man Foundation in 2004. “In the process of learning how to “hump it” and do the yells and learn all the other traditions, I just felt like an Aggie. Not a black Aggie. You don’t have time to worry about who has what or how rich or poor you are, or whether you’re white or black. I just wanted to be an Aggie, and those students wanted me to be an Aggie.”
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.
Texas’ Hooker High Jumped To NCAA Glory
Destinee Hooker won three career high jump titles at the NCAA DI Outdoor T&F Championships, including a massive victory in 2009 by more than two inches.
De Grasse Sprinted To Otherworldly Double
Andre De Grasse completed the 100-200 double at the 2015 NCAA DI Outdoor T&F Championships with scorching times: 9.75 (+2.7) in the 100; 19.58 (+2.4) in the 200.
Merritt Broke Long-Standing 110H MR In 2006
Aries Merritt broke a 28-year-old meet record in the 110H when he won the crown at the 2006 NCAA DI Outdoor T&F Championships in 13.21.
UGA’s Torrence Made NCAA History With Double
Gwen Torrence completed the 100-200 double at the 1987 NCAA DI Outdoor T&F Championships. Torrence was also the first woman to finish top-8 four times in the 100.
Bayer Gave It His All For NCAA 1500 Title
Andrew Bayer won the 1500 at the 2012 NCAA DI Outdoor Track & Field Championships in one of the closest finishes in meet history – 0.01 seconds.
Tipton Led 1-2-3 Oregon Finish In 1964 JT
Les Tipton led the first podium sweep of any event in the history of the NCAA Outdoor T&F Championships. Tipton and his Oregon teammates went 1-2-3 in the 1964 javelin.
K-State’s Jones Captured Heptathlon Crown In 2015
Akela Jones won the heptathlon at the 2015 NCAA DI Outdoor T&F Championships with 6371 points. That is the fourth-best score in both collegiate history & meet history.
Same Athletes, Same Result For LSU At NCAAs
The LSU foursome of Bennie Brazell, Pete Coley, Robert Parham, Kelly Willie swept the 4×100 & 4×400 crowns at the 2003 NCAA DI Outdoor T&F Championships.
Martin Won Distance Titles For Two Programs
Francis (Frank) Martin made history twice in the NCAA Outdoor Track & Field Championships.
FSU’s Williams Soared To Jumps Double In 2009
Kim Williams swept the horizontal jumps at the 2009 NCAA DI Outdoor T&F Championships. Williams was particularly dominant in the TJ, winning at 14.38m (47-2¼) & by nearly 2 feet.