Indoors? Outdoors? Johnson Starred In The PV
The pole vault competition at the 1970 NCAA Division I Outdoor Track & Field Championships started outdoors, but an injury on the slippery runway convinced officials to move the event indoors.
That’s where “Jan Johnson of Kansas was born as a great vaulter,” as Cordner Nelson wrote in Track & Field News.
Johnson matched BYU’s Altti Alarotu, the pre-meet favorite, and Paul Heglar of UTEP in clearing 17-0 (5.18m), the first time in meet history that more than one vaulter was above 17-feet at low altitude.
Still, Johnson – whose PR was 16-6¼ (5.03m) prior to the meet – aimed higher. Having gone 17-2 (5.23m) in practice, Johnson would need to clear a better bar in order to give Kansas its first NCAA title in the event, as he sat in third place. While Johnson was the only one able to get over 17-4 (5.28m), the competition wasn’t over as Alarotu passed after a single miss.
The bar went to 17-7 (5.36m), equal to the NCAA meet record and – as the event was being conducted inside Drake’s field house – a potential world indoor best.
Johnson sailed over on his first attempt, causing the many fans who followed the competition inside to erupt in celebration.
With victory in hand, the bar was next set at the barrier-breaking height of 18-0 (5.49m), a height confirmed by none other than Dutch Warmerdam, vaulting royalty as the world’s first 15-footer in 1940. Johnson came closest to being history’s first 18-footer on his third attempt, the bar falling after being grazed on Johnson’s descent.
“I hit it with my armpit on the way off,” he said. “If I could have relaxed more, I would have been all right.”
Johnson eventually got over 18-feet, making 5.50m (18-0½) at the 1972 Olympic Trials before earning a bronze medal in the Munich Olympics.
Johnson’s daughter, Chelsea, won the pole vault at the 2004 NCAA Division I Outdoor Track & Field Championships while competing for UCLA, making them the first parent-child combination of champions in meet history in the same event. Chelsea later earned a silver medal in the 2009 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.
Event Dominance Propelled South Carolina’s Run
South Carolina rose to prominence in the late 1990s to early 2000s thanks to a trio of extremely talented sprinters.
Calhoun High Hurdled Into The Record Book
Lee Calhoun of North Carolina Central set meet records in back-to-back years at the NCAA Outdoor Track & Field Championships!
Howl Yes! Bell Vaulted To Greatness
Earl Bell won three consecutive pole vault titles at the NCAA Division I Outdoor Track & Field Championships between 1975 and 1977,
McLaughlin Had No Hurdling Competition
In 2018, Sydney McLaughlin set a 400H collegiate record in May and then posted the largest margin of victory in NCAA DI meet history one month later.
Oregon’s Jerome Sprinted To NCAA Glory
Harry Jerome won two national titles at the NCAA Division I Outdoor Track & Field Championships, highlighted by a meet record in the 100 meters in 1964.
Levins Kicked Past Competition In 5K/10K
Cam Levins swept the 5K & 10K at the 2012 NCAA Division I Outdoor Track & Field Championships and won The Bowerman that same year.
Russell Dominated The 100H At NCAAs
Gillian Russell won three career 100H titles at the NCAA Division I Outdoor Track & Field Championships, doing so between 1993 and 1995.
Fosbury Flopped To High Jump Glory
Dick Fosbury, creator of the “Fosbury Flop,” won back-to-back high jump titles at the NCAA Outdoor Championships in 1968 and 1969 with meet records in both years.
Fleshman Starred In The 5000 Meters
Lauren Fleshman posted three victories in the 5000 meters at the NCAA Division I Outdoor Track & Field Championships in her career.
X-Man Reigned At 2006 NCAA Meet
Xavier Carter won four national titles at the 2006 NCAA Division I Outdoor Track & Field Championships, completing the only 100-400 sweep and helping the title-winning 4×100 and 4×400 relay teams.