Dwight Stones Set High Jump WR In 1976
Dwight Stones gave clinics twice at the 1976 NCAA Division I Outdoor Track & Field Championships at Franklin Field in Philadelphia.
The first clinic was one in which the reigning world record holder gave pointers in an impromptu gathering on the day between qualifying and the final.
The second one became necessary when Stones found himself in second place behind a 19-year-old pupil.
Stones, a senior at Cal State Long Beach, set the WR of 2.30m (7-6½) in the summer following his freshman year at UCLA in 1972. The record remained when Stones saw the bar raised to 2.26m (7-5) in the 1976 NCAA final when clinic No. 2 started.
Shockingly, Stones was behind.
Who was in the lead? Central Michigan freshman Mike Winsor, an attendee of Stones’ clinic!
Winsor, who entered the meet with a PR of 7-2 (2.18m), made first-attempt clearances in the final at 2.19m (7-2¼), 2.21m (7-3) and 2.24m (7-4¼), the latter a new meet record.
Stones, who had an earlier miss, matched that and then put the pressure on Winsor by clearing a new MR of 2.26m (7-5) on a first attempt. Winsor calmly followed with his fourth PR of the day, still in the lead.
So the bar went up again – to a new WR height of 2.31m (7-7). Stones gave the bar a wiggle on his first attempt, but it stayed on for a new world record. Winsor had three respectable attempts but could not match his recent teacher, who amazingly needed a WR for the victory.
Later that summer, Stones earned a second-straight Olympic bronze medal and his post-collegiate career saw a return to Franklin Field for another world record at 2.32m (7-7¼). He was the first American to jump 2.34m (7-8) as he made a third Olympics in 1984, where he finished fourth. Stones has been prominent as a broadcaster of the sport ever since.
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.
Merchant, Muller Led Cal’s Field Day In 1922
Jack Merchant and Harold Muller combined for six top-5 finishes in five field events at the 1922 NCAA Outdoor Track & Field Championships.
NC State’s Springs Doubles Up Distance Titles
In 1983, Betty Springs became the first woman in the history of the NCAA Division I Outdoor Track & Field Championships to sweep the 5K/10K titles.
“Marvelous Mal” Whitfield Stars Over Two Laps
“Marvelous” Mal Whitfield won back-to-back NCAA 800-meter/880-yard titles in 1948 and 1949.
Ewen Was A True Triple Threat At NCAAs
Maggie Ewen is the only woman in the history of the NCAA Division I Outdoor Track & Field Championships with titles in three different throwing events.
Wanamaker Wins Inaugural Decathlon Title
Rick Wanamaker of Drake won the first-ever decathlon title at the NCAA Division I Outdoor Track & Field Championships in 1970!
SMU’s Connor Bounds To Triple Jump Greatness
It’s been 38 years and still no one has broken the meet record Keith Connor of SMU set in the triple jump at the 1982 NCAA Division I Outdoor Track & Field Championships in Provo, Utah.
Hail Lorenzo! Daniel Sprints To 200-Meter Records
Lorenzo Daniel of Mississippi State made four consecutive appearances in the final of the Men’s 200 Meters and set a collegiate and meet record in his last race.
Talented Twins Dominate Pole Vault Podium
Twin sisters Lexi Jacobus and Tori Hoggard finished on the same podium five times in eight seasons at the NCAA Championships and each won an outdoor title.
Blozis Was A “Giant” In The Shot
“Giant” Al Blozis won three consecutive shot put titles at the NCAA Outdoor Championships between 1940 and 1942.
Cameron Came Close To Standing Alone
Two one-hundredths of a second separated Bert Cameron of UTEP from standing alone in NCAA history.