Rice Cooked On The Course & Track
The longest track race available to Greg Rice of Notre Dame was the 2-mile, and he showed that wasn’t nearly long enough.
It’s not that Rice wasn’t successful at the distance. To the contrary, actually, as his last race for the Irish in 1939 made him the first in the event with two meet records in the NCAA Outdoor Track & Field Championships at 9:02.6 (Rice had also set a meet record in 1937 with a 9:14.2).
In fact, no one else ever set two MRs at the 2-mile distance.
However, Rice’s senior year saw the dawn of a new national championship on this date in 1938 – cross-country, and the NCAA’s first title race. The distance was 4 miles and held in East Lansing, the first of 25-straight times on the Michigan State campus. It wouldn’t be until 1959 that the NCAA Championships regularly included the 3-mile (now 5000 meters) as part of the outdoor track & field championships.
Rice proved himself supreme at the 4-mile distance, winning the individual title in 20:12.9 by some 3 seconds – more than either of the 1-second victories he showed in NCAA two-mile races. His Irish teammates combined with Rice to finish second behind Indiana in the team standings.
While a great new event – the NCAA Cross Country Championships – had been created, it only began to cement Rice as one of the best track runners ever.
Rice followed his final NCAA two-mile title in 1939 with the second of five-straight AAU 5000-meter championships. From 1940-43 Rice compiled a 65-race winning streak indoors and outdoors that included multiple 2-mile and 3-mile indoor world bests.
One of Rice’s first indoor records came in 1940 at Madison Square Garden in New York with a notable witness, Finnish great Paavo Nurmi, who said of the winner, “That Rice is the greatest distance runner the world has even seen,” according to Pat Robinson of International News Service.
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.
Mikkola Set Javelin MR With Huge Win
Esko Mikkola was a two-time JT winner at the NCAA DI Outdoor T&F Championships. When Mikkola won in 1998, he set a MR of 81.86m (268‑7) and won by 17 feet!
Little Made Big 400H History
Shamier Little won three consecutive 400H titles at the NCAA DI Outdoor T&F Championships between 2014 & 2016. Little became the No. 2 performer in collegiate history with her 53.51 winner in 2016.
Comenentia Completed Historic Double In 2018
Denzel Comenentia became only the third man in the history of the NCAA DI Outdoor T&F Championships to complete the HT-SP double back in 2018.
Ellerbe Won After Film Review In 1939
Mozelle Ellerbe won back-to-back 100-yard dash titles at the NCAA Outdoor T&F Championships in 1938 & 1939. His victory in the 2nd year was confirmed by a film review.
Saunders Won Back-To-Back SP Titles, Set CR
Raven Saunders won back-to-back SP titles at the NCAA DI Outdoor T&F Championships in 2015 & 2016. Saunders set a CR & MR of 19.33m (63-5) in that second year.
McCullouch Ran Legendary Times At NCAAs
Earl McCullouch of Southern California won back-to-back 120H titles at the NCAA Outdoor Track & Field Championships and was a member of a WR-setting quarter-mile relay team.
Hook ‘Em, Leo: Manzano Made 1500 History
Leo Manzano was the first male freshman in the history of the NCAA DI Outdoor T&F Championships to win the 1500/mile in 2005. Manzano added a 2nd title to his haul in 2008.
Walton Started It All In The 800
Delisa Walton won the first women’s 800 at the NCAA DI Outdoor T&F Championships in 1982. Walton is the mother of Ebonie Floyd, who finished 2nd in the 2007 100.
Rupp Capped Sensational Senior Year In 2009
Galen Rupp completed an unprecedented year at the 2009 NCAA DI Outdoor T&F Championships when he swept the 5K & 10K.
Gipson, Ugen Made Long Jump History
Whitney Gipson & Lorraine Ugen were the first teammates to win women’s long jump titles at the NCAA DI Outdoor T&F Championships in consecutive years (Gipson in 2012; Ugen in 2013).