Lindgren Had No Peer In NCAA
Before Gerry Lindgren ever ran for Washington State varsity, he had set a world record, competed in the Olympics and left more than 50,000 fans roaring him to victory – all as a teenager.
Lindgren followed that with a Cougar career that made him the winningest NCAA athlete with 11 combined NCAA titles between cross country, indoor track & field and outdoor track & field. Today, he ranks No. 3 on that list and the two ahead of him (Edward Cheserek of Oregon and Suleiman Nyambui of UTEP) had four years of eligibility, while Lindgren only had three.
Collegiately, Lindgren had no peer in any sport. His six victories at the NCAA Outdoor Track & Field Championships – three straight doubles between 1966 and 1968 comprised of the 3-mile/5000 and 6-mile/10,000 – were by an average margin of more than 10 seconds. Indoors, he lost just once – to Jim Ryun in the 2-mile, relatively short for the long-distance wizard that was Lindgren. In cross country, he had one career loss, to a freshman from Oregon named Steve Prefontaine; he avenged it twice.
His dominance was nothing new.
Track & Field News called Lindgren “the 18-year-old baby of the team” in its report of the 1964 U.S. dual meet against the Soviet Union, held in front of more than 50,000 spectators in the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. “He stole the hearts of the sun-drenched spectators.” He won by over a homestretch in just his second attempt at the 10K distance.
The prodigy from Spokane, Washington, was finally able to attend Washington State in the spring of 1965, but rules then did not allow freshmen to compete in the NCAA. His biggest race that year came against Billy Mills – his gold-medal winning teammate at the 1964 Tokyo Olympics – as both set the same world record of 27:11.6 in a thrilling 6-mile race at the AAU national championships (Mills was first to cross the finish line at Balboa Stadium).
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.
Bagyula Boasted Incredible Pole Vault Prowess
Istvan Bagyula won three consecutive pole vault titles at the NCAA DI Outdoor T&F Championships between 1990 & 1992. He was the first to clear 19 feet (5.80m) in 1991.
Rotich Went Back-To-Back-To-Back In Steeple
Anthony Rotich won three consecutive steeplechase titles, doing so from 2013 to 2015. His 8:21.19 from 2013 is the ninth fastest mark in meet history.
Lawrence Twins Doubled Down On Outdoor Crowns
Twins Shadae & Shardia Lawrence both won titles at the NCAA Division I Outdoor T&F Championships: Shardae in the discus (2017); Shardia in the triple jump (2019).
Sink Steepled Into The Record Book
Sid Sink won back-to-back titles in the steeplechase at the NCAA Division I Outdoor T&F Championships in 1970 & 1971. He set meet records in each of those years.
Georgia Tech’s Taylor Triumphed In 1998
Angelo Taylor won the 400 Hurdles and doubled back to anchor the winning 4×400 relay team at the 1998 NCAA DI Outdoor Track & Field Championships.
Tennessee’s Skinner Set Javelin MR In 1970
Bill Skinner set a meet record in the javelin of 82.49m (270-8) at the 1970 NCAA Division I Outdoor T&F Championships.
Turner Left No Doubt In 800 Meters
Inez Turner won the 800 meters at the 1995 NCAA Division I Outdoor T&F Championships by 2.24 seconds for what is still the largest margin of victory in meet history.
Cheruiyot Won By Slim Margin In 1989
Kip Cheruiyot beat teammate Peter Rono by 0.03 seconds in the 1500 at the 1989 NCAA DI Outdoor T&F Championships. It was the closest margin of victory since the NCAA adopted FAT.
Emordi Led Texas Southern 1-2 LJ Finish In 1987
Paul Emordi led the only 1-2 finish by teammates in the men’s long jump at the NCAA Division I Outdoor Track & Field Championships in 1987. Emordi won with a leap of 8.25m (27-0¾).
Anchor Down: Tolbert Set 400H CR In 1997
Ryan Tolbert set a collegiate record in the 400 Hurdles of 54.54 at the 1997 NCAA Division I Outdoor T&F Championships. Tolbert also finished third in the open 400!