Wottle Leads Eight Men Under Four Minutes

Celebrating A Century of NCAA Track & Field Championships

Wottle Leads Eight Men Under Four Minutes

June 9, 1973

On this day in 1973, Dave Wottle of Bowling Green led eight runners under the 4-minute barrier for the mile – just the second time such depth had occurred anywhere in the world.

Wottle was the defending champion, but he was more prominently known as the reigning Olympic 800-meter gold medalist, having won the 1972 Munich Games with a devastating kick that brought him from last to first over the final 200 meters. And just like then, he ran here with his trademark golf cap.

So while Wottle had the pedigree, many in attendance at the NCAA Championships wondered if anybody would break 4 minutes as the leader hit 3:02.6 at the bell (Wottle, himself, came through in 3:03.8). They could rest assured that Wottle would do his part as he turned on his trademark kick.

Wottle closed in 53.3 seconds to finish in 3:57.1, just 0.2 seconds ahead of runner-up Tony Waldrop of North Carolina in 3:57.3, who clocked his last lap in 52.8. That 3:57.1 by Wottle is a meet record that will likely never be broken as the event has been contested at 1500 meters outdoors since 1976. 

“Nobody wanted to set the pace in that heat,” Wottle told the press after the meet. “They thought they might kill themselves. A lot of people held back … but it doesn’t bother you on the last lap.”

posted: June 9, 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
O-H-I- Oh, Reynolds Was Fast!
June 6, 1987

Butch Reynolds set a meet record in the 400 of 44.13 at the 1987 NCAA Division I Outdoor T&F Championships. He barely missed his own collegiate record of 44.10.

Fynes Won NCAA Titles For Two Programs

Sevatheda Fynes won three career titles at the NCAA DI Outdoor T&F Championships. What’s even more impressive is that she did it for two programs – Eastern Michigan & Michigan State.

El Moutawakel Had Legendary Year In 1984

Nawal El Moutawakel set a meet record in the 400 hurdles of 55.84 at the 1984 NCAA Division I Outdoor Track & Field Championships. She also won Olympic gold that year in the event.

Florida State’s England Kicked To 1500 CR
June 15, 2008

Hannah England set a collegiate record in the 1500 of 4:06.19 at the 2008 NCAA DI Outdoor T&F Championships & led two other women under 4:08 in one of the meet’s fastest finals.