Brown Paced Tennessee To 1974 Team Title
Tennessee’s chances for a team title didn’t rest entirely on Doug Brown at the 1974 NCAA Division I Outdoor Track & Field Championships at Texas Memorial Stadium in Austin.
The Volunteers had a strong team, and Brown tried to contribute as many points as possible.
Brown was defending champion and meet record holder in the steeplechase after a dominant win in 1973 by over 17 seconds. He had recently added the American record (8:23.2) and chose to include the 6-mile to his championship repertoire in hopes of boosting UT’s point total.
With the 6-mile race on the day between the steeple trials and finals, it wasn’t a crazy idea – Brown was third in the NCAA 6-mile as a freshman in 1971 before he even attempted the steeple.
However, after 16 laps (4 miles), Brown’s name was added to a long list of runners who didn’t finish the 6-mile race in hot conditions.
The next day Brown lined up in his specialty, the steeplechase. He was one of three Vols in the final and his goal was still all about team points.
After four laps in the steeple, Brown took the lead and forged the pace, strong enough to drop everyone but teammate Ron Addison, who stuck with Brown until the end. The Vol pair finished 1-2, Addison clocking a huge 8:36.8 PR behind Brown’s 8:36.0.
“I knew I would win it,” Brown said afterwards of the steeple. “I just hoped that Ron would stay with me.”
The steeplers combined for 18 points, helping Tennessee win its first track & field title. Brown and Addison were part of the cross country team that won the NCAA crown in 1972, and Brown added additional Vol history in 1991 when he was head coach of the UT squad that won the NCAA DI Outdoor title.
The only other person who was both a coach and athlete on championship teams in the NCAA DI Outdoor meet – and win an individual title as well – is Jess Mortensen, who coached Southern California to seven titles (1951-61) after winning the javelin in 1929 and being part of USC’s 1930 championship team.
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’ Turner Soared To Triple Jump Greatness
Terri Turner was a two-time TJ champion at the NCAA DI Outdoor T&F Championships. When Turner won her 2nd title in 1986, she set an all-time world best of 13.66m (44-9¾).
Stanford’s Rothert Starred In The Shot Put
Harlow Rothert won three consecutive shot put titles at the NCAA Outdoor T&F Championships between 1928 & 1930. He set meet records in both 1929 and 1930.
Indiana’s Kharun Set Javelin MR In 2003
Irina Kharun won the javelin title at the 2003 NCAA DI Outdoor T&F Championships with a meet record heave of 61.82m (202-10). It also helped her win by more than 30 feet!
Hume Brothers Had Officials Seeing Double
Twins Robert & Ross Hume purposefully tied for the mile crown at the 1944 NCAA Outdoor Track & Field Championships. They tried again in 1945, but officials gave Ross the win.
Woo Pig Sooie! McLeod Sizzled Track In 2015!
Omar McLeod clocked a sizzling 13.01 (+3.9) to win the 110HH at the 2015 NCAA DI Outdoor T&F Championships. Only one man had ever gone faster in meet history at the time.
Felicien Starred In The 100H At NCAAs
Perdita Felicien won back-to-back 100H titles at the NCAA Division I Outdoor T&F Championships in 2002 & 2003. She set a MR of 12.68 in the semifinals on the way to title No. 2.
Truly “Unbroken,” Zamperini Shined At NCAAs
Louis Zamperini set a meet record in the mile of 4:08.3 at the 1938 NCAA Outdoor T&F Championships. Zamperini, who also won the mile in 1939, saw his record last 15 years.
Hughes Soared To Three Consecutive HJ Titles
Tanya Hughes was the first woman to win three high jump titles at the NCAA Division I Outdoor T&F Championships. Hughes did so consecutively in 1991, 1992 & 1993.
Kyriazis Made Point With Javelin In 2017
Ioannis Kyriazis set a meet record in the javelin of 82.58m (270-11) and won by more than 19 feet at the 2017 NCAA DI Outdoor T&F Championships.
Sharpe Bounded To Meet History In 1956
Bill Sharpe became the first man to eclipse the 50-foot barrier in the triple jump at the NCAA DI Outdoor T&F Championships in 1956. Sharpe won with his 15.36m (50‑4¾) effort.