Ritchie Doubles Down In The Throws
Happy birthday to Meg Ritchie!
The last woman to own concurrent collegiate records in both the shot put and discus was the first woman to win any two events in the same year at the NCAA Division I Outdoor Track & Field Championships, doing so in 1982, the first year women were included in the meet.
Ritchie was in a league of her own as a collegian.
In 1981, Ritchie set the still-standing collegiate record – and British record – in the discus with a heave of 67.48m (221-5) at the Mt. SAC Relays. The native of Kirkcaldy, Fife, Scotland, also owns five other current all-time top-10 marks on the collegiate chart, including Nos. 2, 4, 5, 7 and 10.
Ritchie seemingly slowed down during her 1982 campaign, compared to the incredibly high standards to which she set for herself in the previous years. And after Ritchie improved her collegiate record in the shot put to 17.47m (57-3¾), her coach revealed that they were bringing her along slowly.
“That’s not to say we’re ignoring her collegiate season,” Arizona coach Dave Murray told Lee Shappell of The Arizona Republic. “But we respect her as one of the elite throwers in the world, and we want to work with her so that she is at her best in the biggest meets.”
Ritchie added that she had just come off heavy weight training (“I’m feeling more springy now”) and was paying attention to a sore shoulder. “I don’t want people to think I’m making excuses, but I’ve been awfully sensible with my shoulder,” she told Shappell. “It’s just now coming along nicely – in time for nationals.”
It’s safe to say that plan worked as Ritchie had an incredible summer. After sweeping the NCAA discus and shot put crowns by winning margins of 8 feet, 11 inches and 11 inches, respectively, Ritchie would turn her attention to the Commonwealth Games, where she won the discus title there as well.
Ritchie never improved her collegiate record in the discus, but added more than five feet to her shot put standard the following year that would remain the all-time best until Raven Saunders came along in 2016.
Now 68 and known as Meg Stone, the former Arizona star is the Director of the Center of Excellence for Sport Science and Coach Education as well as the Director of the Olympic Training Site at East Tennessee State.
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.