Coghlan Made History In Back-To-Back Years
The last mile race contested at the NCAA Division I Outdoor Track & Field Championships did not figure to be fast.
Not because the 1975 meet was lacking in fast milers, but rather the site of BYU’s Cougar Stadium in Provo, Utah – approximately 4600 feet (1400 meters) above sea level.
It would be the first race of any kind at such a high altitude for Eamonn Coghlan of Villanova, whose unbelievable spring was highlighted by a scorching 3:53.3 three weeks earlier.
Two altitude-based runners – defending NCAA champion Paul Cummings of BYU and UTEP’s Wilson Waigwa – loomed as the biggest challengers. Cummings owned the stadium record at 4:01.0 but was solidly beaten by Waigwa in the Western Athletic Conference meet – held at nearby Salt Lake City – in 4:00.8. Waigwa owned an impressive PR of 3:55.6.
The altitude proved to be little issue for Coghlan, who stuck near Cummings as the Cougar led on his home track through three laps at 3:03.0. Coghlan had brief control going into the final backstretch before Waigwa took the lead going into the final turn, but Coghlan overtook him on the homestretch with his signature burst of finishing speed.
Coghlan – whose name is pronounced “Ay-mun Cogk-lun” – was ever-so-close to becoming the first collegian to run sub-4 at altitude, clocking 4:00.06. The meet’s previous altitude best was set on the same track in 1967 when Jim Ryun – then the world record holder – won the NCAA meet in 4:03.5.
Coghlan followed the next year with an NCAA victory in the now-standard championship outdoor distance of 1500 meters in a meet-record 3:37.01. He also won two NCAA titles in the indoor mile, an event in which he would later set three world records and become known as “The Chairman of the Boards.”
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.
Cal’s Hudson Wins Epic Triple Jump With World’s Best
On this day in 1987, Sheila Hudson of California set world best in Women’s Triple Jump at the NCAA Division I Outdoor Track & Field Championships when she bounded 13.78m (45-2½).
Track. Field. Houston’s Lewis Does It All!
On this day in 1981, Carl Lewis of Houston became the first athlete since Jesse Owens to win a track event and field event at the same NCAA Division I Outdoor Track & Field Championships.
UCLA Men’s 4×400 Clocks NCAA’s First Sub-3
On this day in 1988, the UCLA men’s 4×400 relay team became the first collegiate quartet to break three minutes, clocking 2:59.91 with Steve Lewis, Kevin Young, Danny Everett and Henry Thomas.
LSU’s Sowell Dominates 1989 NCAA Championships
On this day in 1989, Dawn Sowell of LSU culminated one of the most dominant performances in the history of the NCAA Outdoor Championships.
Givens’ Quad Leads Florida State to Team Title
On this day in 1984, Randy Givens of Florida State completed a remarkable – and still, unmatched – feat, winning a quadruple set of titles at the NCAA Division I Outdoor Track & Field Championships in Eugene, Ore.
Rono Rolls Into The Record Books
On this day in 1978, Henry Rono of Washington State became the first (and still only) man to set two different NCAA Championships meet records in distance races on the same day.
Jackie Joyner Doubles Down On Multi Crowns
On this day in 1983, Jackie Joyner of UCLA became the first woman to win an event twice at the NCAA Championships, claiming her second consecutive crown in the heptathlon with a then-collegiate-record-setting score of 6390 points.
Connect Four: Prefontaine Makes History
Steve Prefontaine of Oregon became the first athlete to win titles in the same outdoor event four times, claiming the 3-mile/5000m from 1970-73.
Ralph Metcalfe Is Mr. Triple-Double
Ralph Metcalfe, who was born on this day (May 29) in 1910, won three consecutive 100 and 200 titles while at Marquette from 1932-34, becoming the first athlete to win three NCAA titles in two separate events.
Georgia’s Orji Jump-Starts Record-Breaking Career
On this day in 2016, Keturah Orji of Georgia set her first collegiate record in the triple jump of 14.29m (46-10¾) at the NCAA Division I East Preliminary Round in Jacksonville, Florida.