Confident Ngeno Dominated Distances

Celebrating A Century of NCAA Track & Field Championships

Confident Ngeno Dominated Distances

John Ngeno of Washington State was looking to make a statement in the 3-mile at the 1975 NCAA Division I Outdoor Track & Field Championships.

With a victory by 14.03 seconds over defending champ Paul Geis of Oregon, Ngeno made his point: Ngeno crossed the finish line in 13:22.73; Geis finished in 13:36.76.

That winning margin was – and remains – the largest by a man in meet history, even combining 5000-meter races. And it came a day after winning the 6-mile, making Ngeno the first such distance doubler since another WSU Cougar, Gerry Lindgren, won three from 1966-68.

Asked if the altitude at Provo, Utah, made it hard, Ngeno responded, “Hard? Why should it be hard? It is no different up here than down below.”

Ngeno – pronounced “nyen-no” – was born and raised in Kisumu, Kenya, at an altitude almost as high as Provo’s roughly 4600 feet (1400 meters). His win in the 1974 NCAA 6-mile made him the meet’s first Kenyan-born champion in any event.

Ngeno was known as being boldly confident. When asked if he was worried about Geis or anyone else in the 3-mile race, Ngeno told Tom Jordan of Track & Field News, “Why worry? I knew when I got up this morning that I would win.”

posted: December 10, 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
O-H-I- Oh, Reynolds Was Fast!
June 6, 1987

Butch Reynolds set a meet record in the 400 of 44.13 at the 1987 NCAA Division I Outdoor T&F Championships. He barely missed his own collegiate record of 44.10.

Fynes Won NCAA Titles For Two Programs

Sevatheda Fynes won three career titles at the NCAA DI Outdoor T&F Championships. What’s even more impressive is that she did it for two programs – Eastern Michigan & Michigan State.

El Moutawakel Had Legendary Year In 1984

Nawal El Moutawakel set a meet record in the 400 hurdles of 55.84 at the 1984 NCAA Division I Outdoor Track & Field Championships. She also won Olympic gold that year in the event.

Florida State’s England Kicked To 1500 CR
June 15, 2008

Hannah England set a collegiate record in the 1500 of 4:06.19 at the 2008 NCAA DI Outdoor T&F Championships & led two other women under 4:08 in one of the meet’s fastest finals.