Surprise! Brown’s Win Sent Texas A&M To Title

Celebrating A Century of NCAA Track & Field Championships

Surprise! Brown’s Win Sent Texas A&M To Title

June 14, 2014

0.007 seconds. 

That infinitesimal speck of time, indiscernible to the naked eye, separated Kamaria Brown of Texas A&M and Jenna Prandini of Oregon at the finish line of the 200-meter final at the 2014 NCAA Division I Outdoor Track & Field Championships in Eugene, Oregon. 

Never before had a finish in that event been so close. 

So, when Brown edged Prandini for the title – 22.623 to 22.630 – it ushered in a new heiress to the Throne of Thrilling Finishes. You can cement that fact when you add Brown’s teammate, Olivia Ekponé, to the mix – who took third in 22.64, just 0.01 seconds behind Prandini. 

That 1-3 finish by Brown and Ekponé sparked the Aggies on the meet’s final day as they racked up 34 points to propel them to their fourth team title in the past six years. Texas A&M also won the 4×100 relay with Brown handing off to anchor Ekponé, and took runner-up honors in the 4×400.

Brown’s 10 points in the 200 ended up being the difference as the Aggies beat archrival Texas by nine points, 75-66. And wouldn’t you know: Brown wasn’t expected to win – let alone score. She entered the meet ranked ninth nationally, but stepped up in a big way for Texas A&M.

posted: December 16, 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
Tough Keeping Up With This Jones

Jolanda Jones won three heptathlon titles at the NCAA Division I Outdoor Track & Field Championships and scored more than 6000 points twice.

Peters At Head Of Jav U’s Class

Anderson Peters won back-to-back javelin titles at the NCAA Division I Outdoor Track & Field Championships and broke and bettered the meet record twice.

Fitzgerald Hurdled Into The Record Books
June 4, 1983

Benita Fitzgerald won back-to-back 100H titles at the NCAA Division I Outdoor Track & Field Championships in 1982 & 1983, setting a collegiate record and meet record with her time of 12.84 in 1983.

An Illustrious Career For Charlie Craig

Charlie Craig won the triple jump at the 1964 NCAA Division I Outdoor Track & Field Championships. Then, after a long coaching career, he was inducted into the USTFCCCA Coaches Hall of Fame!