Hook ‘Em, Ivan: Wagner Tied Best HJ Margin

Celebrating A Century of NCAA Track & Field Championships

Hook ‘Em, Ivan: Wagner Tied Best HJ Margin

June 5, 1997

Ivan Wagner of Texas found seven feet to be just right, but not as a height when he won the high jump at the 1997 NCAA Division I Outdoor Track & Field Championships.

Rather, it was the distance he adjusted his approach.

The San Antonio native was in first place with only two jumpers remaining as the bar rose to a familiar height with a familiar opponent. In early April, Wagner had scaled the same height of 2.25m (7-4½) to win the Texas Relays over Staffan Strand of Minnesota.

Wagner again cleared 7-4½, equaling his PR, but Strand didn’t and finished as runner-up at 2.19m (7-2½). With victory clinched, Wagner then cleared 2.30m (7-6½) to increase his winning margin to an impressive 11 cm (4¼ inches) – matching the meet’s largest ever set, by collegiate record holder Hollis Conway of Southwestern Louisiana (now Louisiana) in 1989.

Wagner’s approach adjustment came just a week before the NCAA meet. A midterm basketball transfer from NC State, he was recovering from knee surgery and his coach – USTFCCCA Hall of Famer Dan Pfaff – suggested an approach that was longer and slower than usual.

One of the six jumpers behind Wagner at the runner-up height of 7-2½ was Longhorn teammate Richard Duncan, who was beginning some history of his own. Duncan followed up his tie for fifth with third-place finishes in the long jump and triple jump, becoming the first man to score in that trio of events.

posted: December 21, 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
Plab Reached Lofty Heights In NCAA HJ

Darrin Plab won back-to-back HJ titles at the NCAA DI Outdoor T&F Championships in 1991 & 1992. Plab cleared 2.34m (7-8) in 1992 & tied the 2nd best bar in meet history.

Peoples Made History One Lap At A Time

Maurice Peoples won the 440-yard dash in 1973 & then really turned up the heat. Peoples split 43.4 on the Sun Devils’ mile relay team that finished third in the final.

KU’s Lokedi Set 10K MR In 2018

Sharon Lokedi won the 10K at the 2018 NCAA DI Outdoor T&F Championships in a meet-record 32:09.20. Lokedi led five other women under the old final-site best, too.

Can Ereng Kick It? Yes, He Can!

Paul Ereng won back-to-back 800-meter titles at the NCAA DI Outdoor T&F Championships in 1988 & 1989. Ereng is still the current indoor record holder in the event.

Dwight Stones Set High Jump WR In 1976

Dwight Stones set a world record in the high jump of 2.31m (7-7) at the 1976 NCAA DI Outdoor T&F Championships. Stones also raised the MR by more than 3 inches!