Montana’s Brown Set Two MRs in 1965

Fans witnessed two meet records at the 1965 NCAA Division I Outdoor Track & Field Championships in Berkeley, California.

Both were set by Montana’s Doug Brown, who became the first – and still only – man to set meet records in the two longest races in the same year.

Brown employed his normal full-throttle strategy each time. In Thursday night’s 6-mile, his stiff pace found company from only Washington State’s Chris Westman at the halfway point (14:06.3).

By 4 miles, Brown was all alone, having begun a steady increase of the pace that saw him negative-split the race. His final time for 6 miles was 27:59.2, the first sub-28 clocking by a collegian.

Two days later, Brown was part of the meet’s most thrilling competition in the 3-mile. Again, he forced the pace and by the 2-mile split (9:08), only Westman and a fresh John Lawson of Kansas were hanging around.

The excitement level rose rapidly on the last lap. Westman took the lead, but that evaporated as Lawson passed him on the backstretch and led until the beginning of the homestretch – that’s when a fast-charging Brown pulled even with Lawson.

Back-and-forth Lawson and Brown edged ahead of each other down the final stretch, crossing the finish line virtually together.

Fortunately a Bulova Phototimer was in use and officials were able to find about three inches of difference between them, both clocking a meet-record time of 13:40.2 with Brown getting the nod for a second title.

Close followers of the NCAA meet know there is at least one other prominent athlete named Doug Brown. A steeplechaser with that name will be the subject of a forthcoming Moment.