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’Brien Glides To Shot Put Dominance

Parry O’Brien, who invented the “O’Brien Glide” technique, won back-to-back shot put titles at the NCAA Outdoor Track & Field Championships in 1952 & 1953, each by more than two feet!

Huber Three-Peats In 3000 Meters

Vicki Huber of Villanova was the first woman to win three consecutive titles in the 3000 Meters at the NCAA Division I Outdoor Track & Field Championships.

Falcon Flew To NCAA Distance Glory

Joe Falcon of Arkansas is the only man in the history of the NCAA Division I Outdoor Track & Field Championships with career national titles in the 1500 & 10,000!

Kyra Jefferson Chomps Collegiate Record
June 10, 2017

Kyra Jefferson of Florida set the current collegiate record and NCAA Outdoor meet record in the Women’s 200 Meters of 22.02 at the 2017 NCAA Division I Outdoor Track & Field Championships.