Russell Dominated The 100H At NCAAs
Gillian Russell won a world championship two years before she even stepped foot on the University of Miami campus in Coral Gables, Florida.
And three months after she finished seventh in her first 100-meter hurdle final at the NCAA Division I Outdoor Track & Field Championships in 1992, Russell became the first – and still, only – woman to defend a world U20 crown in that same discipline.
So, it was just a matter of time until Russell, who celebrates her 47th birthday today, topped the NCAA podium in her signature event (Russell did win her first NCAA title earlier that year during the indoor season in the 55H).
Less than one full year later – 364 days, to be exact – Russell gave the Hurricanes the program’s first NCAA outdoor individual title. As one of four women to return from the previous year’s final, she ran like a champion from the start and crossed the finish line in 13.02 seconds, just ahead of Ime Akpan of Arizona State, who also finished behind Russell in 1992.
Seeing Russell on top of the NCAA 100H podium was a familiar sight over the next few years as she became the first woman in meet history to string together three consecutive victories (Only Michigan’s Tiffany Ofili has matched her in that regard all these years later).
In 1994, Russell absolutely demolished the field in Boise, Idaho. Her 0.40-second triumph over Kim Carson of LSU remains the largest margin of victory in meet history 26 years later and was only equaled by Brianna Rollins during her Bowerman year in 2013.
Then in 1995, Russell completed the trifecta with a 12.99 clocking, the second time that she went sub-13 at the NCAA meet. She also became just the second woman in meet history to make four consecutive 100H finals, joining Cinnamon Sheffield of LSU from 1989 to 1992.
The native of Kingston, Jamaica, represented her homeland at two Olympic Games (1992 and 1996) as well as at two World Championships (1993 and 1995). Russell earned an Olympic bronze medal as part of Jamaica’s 4×100 relay pool in 1996 and set a national record in the 100H the year before during the semifinals of the World 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.
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.