Fuchs Went Back-To-Back In Shot Put
Even on a bad day Jim Fuchs of Yale was hard to beat.
Fuchs was the world record holder in the shot put and riding a 12-month winning streak when he entered the 1950 NCAA Track & Field Championships.
But, after the trials, Fuchs found himself leading by only 1¾” (5cm) over Otis Chandler of Stanford, as both were superior to the NCAA meet record of 56-1½ (17.10m) Fuchs had set the year before.
The closeness of the competition caught many by surprise, despite the world-class caliber – Fuchs had set the WR of 58-5½ (17.81m) in April, while Chandler’s best of 57-4⅜ (17.48m) in May made him No. 3 on the all-time world (and collegiate) list.
After the trials, only Fuchs improved — albeit marginally to 56-11 (17.34m), another NCAA meet record. Chandler, though, finishing second at 56-5½ (17.20m), gave Fuchs the closest scare he would receive in a winning streak that would eventually stretch post-collegiately into 1951 at 88 meets – then the longest of any event in history.
Fuchs had become an innovator in the shot put, creating a technique he called the “Sideways Glide” to compensate for an injury. Parry O’Brien not only ended Fuchs’s win streak but would eventually set an even longer one of 116 meets using a modification called the “O’Brien Glide.”
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.
Ritchie Doubles Down In The Throws
Meg Ritchie of Arizona became the first woman in the history of the NCAA Division I Outdoor Track & Field Championships to win any two events in 1982.
Three-For-Three: Woodruff Made It Look Easy
John Woodruff of Pittsburgh won three consecutive 800/880 titles at the NCAA Track & Field Championships from 1937 to 1939.
The Tie Goes To The Runner(s)
Bill Straub of Army and Jim Murphy of Air Force TIED for the 5000-meter title at the 1964 NCAA Track & Field Championships!
Ottey’s Audacious Quadruple In 1983
Merlene Ottey of Nebraska sought to win NCAA titles in the 100, 200, 400 and 4×100 relay in 1983.
He’s Great: LSU’s Davis Soars To History
Walter Davis, who turns 41 today, scored 22¼ points at the 2002 NCAA Division I Outdoor Track & Field Championship to lead LSU to the national team title.
Scott Neilson Is NCAA T&F’s Mr. Canada
Scott Neilson of Washington won four consecutive hammer throw titles at the NCAA DI Outdoor Track & Field Championships between 1976 and 1979.
A Crowning Moment For Rogers In 2017
Back in 2017, Raevyn Rogers of Oregon dazzled at the NCAA Division I Outdoor Track & Field Championships with a victory in the 800 and a sizzling anchor on the winning 4×400 relay.
Robinson Brothers Make NCAA T&F History
Can you name the first set of siblings to win NCAA Track & Field titles? We’ll give you a hint: Their last name is Robinson.
UTEP’s Nyambui Goes 7-For-7 Outdoors
Suleiman Nyambui of UTEP never lost a race at the NCAA Division I Outdoor Track & Field Championships. He went a perfect 7-for-7 over four years.
Oxy’s Gutowski Vaults To Record Heights
Bob Gutowski of Occidental won the pole vault at the 1957 NCAA Outdoor Championships with a clearance of 4.82m (15-9¾), a mark that surpassed the world record but was never ratified.