Simpson Sprints To All-Time Mark In 1929

Celebrating A Century of NCAA Track & Field Championships

Simpson Sprints To All-Time Mark In 1929

George Simpson of Ohio State was ahead of his time.

In 1929, Simpson used starting blocks – then a recent innovation – in the final of the 100 yards at the NCAA Track & Field Championships. To wit, the starting blocks hadn’t be around all that long, as the invention was credited to Australian Charlie Booth and his father earlier that year.

Simpson, then a junior for the Buckeyes, scorched the cinder in 9.4 seconds to not only win one of his three career NCAA titles, but set an apparent world record in the process. And while the NCAA allowed the use of starting blocks, the world and U.S. governing bodies did not at the time. Therefore, his 9.4 was never ratified as a world record (It was eventually recognized as the American record 15 years later in 1944).

The final field of the 100 yards was loaded, featuring four men who had equaled the existing world record of 9.5. The others, in order of finish: defending champ Claude Bracey of Rice, Eddie Tolan of Michigan and Cy Leland of TCU. Tolan and Simpson, in fact, equaled the 9.5 WR in prelims.

Simpson was a double winner in 1929, adding a 220-yard victory to help lead Ohio State to its first (and still only) team title at this meet. The Buckeyes won the meet with just four athletes – the smallest winning team until USC (1943) and Arkansas (1996) would match them. Amazingly, Ohio State could have won with just three athletes as the trio of Simpson (20 points), hurdler Richard Rockaway (18) and discus thrower Pete Rasmus (10) accounted for 48 of the Buckeyes’ 50 points (Runner-up Washington had 42).

posted: July 7, 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
Tough Keeping Up With This Jones

Jolanda Jones won three heptathlon titles at the NCAA Division I Outdoor Track & Field Championships and scored more than 6000 points twice.

Peters At Head Of Jav U’s Class

Anderson Peters won back-to-back javelin titles at the NCAA Division I Outdoor Track & Field Championships and broke and bettered the meet record twice.

Fitzgerald Hurdled Into The Record Books
June 4, 1983

Benita Fitzgerald won back-to-back 100H titles at the NCAA Division I Outdoor Track & Field Championships in 1982 & 1983, setting a collegiate record and meet record with her time of 12.84 in 1983.

An Illustrious Career For Charlie Craig

Charlie Craig won the triple jump at the 1964 NCAA Division I Outdoor Track & Field Championships. Then, after a long coaching career, he was inducted into the USTFCCCA Coaches Hall of Fame!