Russell Dominated The 100H At NCAAs

Celebrating A Century of NCAA Track & Field Championships

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.

posted: September 28, 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