Joaquim Cruz’d To Meet Record, 800-1500 Double

Celebrating A Century of NCAA Track & Field Championships

Joaquim Cruz’d To Meet Record, 800-1500 Double

Joaquim Cruz caused Oregon’s Hayward Field fans to become uniquely vocal with what sounded like “Boo.”

Actually, it was the name “Cruz”, and it was heard proudly and loudly in two finals at the 1984 NCAA Division I Outdoor Track & Field Championships as the namesake stormed to a pair of impressive victories.

The first occurrence came in the 800 on Friday, when a normally front-running Cruz had to change his plans after Alabama’s William Wuyke took control at the break.

Cruz – whose first name is pronounced “Zho-ah-KEEM” – waited until the final backstretch before unleashing his speed to win in 1:45.10, the second-fastest time in meet history behind his own meet-record 1:44.91 from a year earlier.

A day later, Cruz took off from the gun in the 1500, forcing a swift opening lap of 57.6 seconds and led the entire way to a 3:36.48 PR, again the second-fastest time in meet history, this time behind the still-standing meet record set in 1981 by Sydney Maree of Villanova.

The 1500 results proved pivotal for the home team as fellow Duck sophomore Dub Myers followed in third with a 3:37.94 PR, and the duo’s 25 points on the 12-place scoring system clinched Oregon’s first team title in the meet since 1970.

Cruz was far from done for the year. In August, he won Olympic gold – the first for a Brazilian in a track event – and then later in the summer came within 0.04 seconds of the world record at 1:41.77, still the fastest by a collegian on an “all-dates” basis.

The Olympic 800 final helped to show the impressive strength of the NCAA race – Olympic bronze medalist Earl Jones was NCAA runner-up for Eastern Michigan, while Richmond’s Edwin Koech finished sixth in both finals.

Cruz’s 800/1500 double victory was the meet’s last by a man until 2010, when another Oregon star pulled off the same combination – Andrew Wheating.

posted: January 11, 2021
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
Two Laps To Glory For Everett
June 1, 1990

Mark Everett set a meet record of 1:44.70 in the 800 Meters at the 1990 NCAA Division I Outdoor Track & Field Championships.

Brooks Made NCAA Shot Put History

Tia Brooks won back-to-back shot put titles at the NCAA Division I Outdoor Track & Field Championships and broke the collegiate indoor record in the event in 2013.

Scott One-Upped Himself In 1978
June 3, 1978

Steve Scott of UC Irvine won the 1500-meter title at the 1978 NCAA Division I Outdoor Track & Field Championships, one year after finishing runner-up at the same meet as an NCAA Division II athlete.

Sheffield Won An Incredible 400H Final
May 31, 1985

LaTanya Sheffield of San Diego State won the 400 Hurdles at the 1985 NCAA Division I Outdoor Track & Field Championships with an American record and collegiate record of 54.64.

Okagbare Mined For History In 2010

Blessing Okagbare is the only woman in the history of the NCAA Division I Outdoor Track & Field Championships to win both the 100 Meters and long jump!

Kiss The Competition Goodbye

Balazs Kiss won four consecutive hammer throw title at the NCAA Division I Outdoor Track & Field Championships and still holds the collegiate record in the event!

LSU’s Duncan Roared To 200 History

Kimberlyn Duncan was the only woman in the history of the NCAA Division I Outdoor Track & Field Championships to win three consecutive 200-meter titles, doing so between 2011 and 2013.