Hall Equaled 120H World Record In 1969

Celebrating A Century of NCAA Track & Field Championships

Hall Equaled 120H World Record In 1969

June 19, 1969

Erv Hall of Villanova started the excitement early at the 1969 NCAA Division I Outdoor Track & Field Championships.

In the first heat of the first track event of the first day, Hall equaled a world record of 13.2 in the 120-yard hurdles.

The record time caught everyone by surprise – including Hall.

As Tom Cushman of the Philadelphia Daily News reported, “Hall slumped onto a nearby bench, grinning broadly, shaking his head in disbelief. ‘It felt good. . . I thought it was fairly fast. . . but I can’t believe 13.2,’ he said. ‘Things like this can happen at the strangest times’.”

Hall came back the next day to win both his semifinal and the final in 13.3 – faster than the previous meet record of 13.4 that he had a share of from when he finished second at the 1968 NCAA meet.

Some observers believe credit for Hall’s fast times were due to the surface at Tennessee’s Tom Black Track, as the host site was sporting the same Tartan surface that was used the previous year at the Olympics in Mexico City.

Hall might have been more familiar with the surface than others – indeed, he was a silver medalist in the 1968 Olympics. Still, it was the same surface for everyone, and Hall won all three of his rounds in the 1969 NCAA meet by at least 0.2 seconds.

posted: November 18, 2020
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
LSU Hurdle Dominance Yet To Be Matched

Tananjalyn Stanley set a meet record of 12.70 in the 100 Hurdles at the 1989 NCAA DI Outdoor T&F Championships, which jump-started LSU’s dominance in the event over the next few years.

Barrett Scared Long-Standing MR In 2013
June 8, 2013

Katrena Johnson set a collegiate record in the high jump at the 1985 NCAA Division I Outdoor Track & Field Championships and led a 1-2-3 Arizona sweep!

Bell Rang True In Long Jump

Greg Bell won back-to-back long jump titles at the NCAA Outdoor Track & Field Championships and broke a meet record in 1957!

Stanford Romped To National Title in 1928

Stanford won the team title at the 1928 NCAA Outdoor Track & Field Championships with a then-meet record score of 72 points. Eric Krenz (pictured) led the way with 18 team points.

Smith Jumped Her Way Into Elite Company

Trecia-Kaye Smith won three career titles at the NCAA Division I Outdoor Track & Field Championships with two of those in the long jump, another in the triple jump.