Iowa’s Jones Made Distance History

Celebrating A Century of NCAA Track & Field Championships

Iowa’s Jones Made Distance History

June 15, 1957

Before Deacon Jones won the 2-mile in a meet record at the 1957 NCAA Championships, he had already made history.

That came in 1955, when the Iowa star won the NCAA cross country title as a sophomore and became the first Black athlete to win an NCAA title in the sport.

Jones’ victory in the cross-country race, then held at a distance of 4 miles, remains the closest in meet history at 0.1 seconds over Henry Kennedy of host Michigan State amid windy conditions and a temperature of 12 degrees Fahrenheit.

Ironically, Kennedy won the 1956 NCAA steeplechase, an event that would become Jones’ best on the track. While Jones missed the NCAA steeple that year due to academic ineligibility, he made the first of two Olympic teams in the event (1956 and 1960).

As the steeple was only held in the NCAA meet in Olympic years, Jones never got to run his specialty at the national collegiate level and in 1957 became the first sub-9 runner in NCAA 2-mile history with a time of 8:57.6.

Jones had a unique background. Born as Charles Jones in St. Paul, Minnesota, he left a troubled home as a 13-year-old for Father Flanagan’s Boys Town near Omaha, Nebraska, where he gained the nickname of Deacon. A talented all-around athlete – all-state in football and basketball – Jones set a national high school record in the mile at 4:17.6 in 1954 before going to college at Iowa.

posted: January 15, 2021
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
Reese Left Her Mark On NCAA LJ
June 12, 2008

Brittney Reese won the long jump at the 2008 NCAA DI Outdoor T&F Championships with a mark of 6.93m (22-9). Reese missed the meet record by just 1cm (½ inch).

Tupuritis Shocked The Field In 1996
May 31, 1996

Einars Tupuritis won the 800 at the 1996 NCAA DI Outdoor T&F Championships by 0.14 seconds! Turpiritis crossed the finish line in 1:45.08.

Ellis Sent USC To A Thrilling Victory
June 9, 2018

Kendall Ellis had a remarkable come-from-behind victory in the 4×400 relay at the 2018 NCAA DI Outdoor T&F Championships that sent Southern California to the meet title.