Falcon Flew To NCAA Distance Glory
Like his surname, Joe Falcon always swooped in at the right moment.
Known for his ferocious kick late in the race, Falcon captured seven individual NCAA titles between cross country, indoor track & field and outdoor track & field while competing for the University of Arkansas under legendary USTFCCCA Hall of Fame coach John McDonnell.
Falcon’s winning ways nearly started in the fall of his sophomore year at the 1986 NCAA Division I Cross Country Championships in Tucson, Arizona, but a recessed sprinkler head had other ideas. The Razorback standout ran on the shoulder of eventual winner Aaron Ramirez for most of the race before pulling away as they ascended the final hill. Shortly after, Falcon stepped in a sprinkler hole on the golf course, tumbled to the ground and had to settle for a runner-up finish (Don’t worry: Falcon atoned for that mishap the following year to become the program’s first individual national champion in cross country).
That incident most likely fueled Falcon’s fire over the next few years as little kept him from NCAA glory from that point forward.
After winning his first NCAA title the following March in the indoor 3000 meters, Falcon closed in a scintillating 55.1 to capture the 10,000-meter crown at the 1987 NCAA Division I Outdoor Track & Field Championships. That would be the first of seven 10K crowns for the Razorbacks over the years, which has helped them become the highest-scoring program in that event in meet history.
Falcon went back-to-back in the indoor 3000 the following year and added the mile crown to his ledger for good measure. When he returned to the outdoor meet a few months later, Falcon had his eyes squarely set on the 1500-meter title, something only one other man in program history was able to bring back to Fayetteville (Frank O’Mara in 1983).
True to form, Falcon stayed right behind the leader (Steve Balkey of Penn State) and blew past him in the final 500 meters. Falcon had company, though, as the Indiana duo of Mark Deady and Charles Marsala went with him. The Razorback runner held off the Hoosiers’ harriers to win by one second, 3:38.91 to 3:39.91 (Marsala) and 3:39.92 (Deady).
To this day, Falcon remains the only man in meet history to win national titles in both the 1500/mile and the 10,000 meters — and is just one of two men to score in both of those events at the national meet in his career (Two-time The Bowerman finalist Lawi Lalang is the other, winning the 10K title in 2013 and finishing runner-up in the 1500 one year later).
Falcon snagged another NCAA indoor mile crown in 1989 and anchored the Arkansas DMR team to an all-time world best in the DMR at the Penn Relays that same year. However, Falcon’s quest to defend his 1500-meter crown fell 1200 meters short in June after he was tripped and pushed to the ground less than one lap into the NCAA final, in what would be his final collegiate race.
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.