Surprise! Brown’s Win Sent Texas A&M To Title
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.
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.
Oregon’s Washington Made NCAA History In 2016
Ariana Washington of Oregon became the first freshman woman to sweep the 100 and 200 at the same NCAA Division I Outdoor Track & Field Championships in 2016.
Juskus Capped Whirlwind Week With Title
Mike Juskus of Glassboro State College (now Rowan University) won the NCAA DI & NCAA DIII javelin titles in 1981.
Stanford Had Opponents Seeing (Cardinal) Red
Stanford’s distance runners led them to great success in the late 1990s, which resulted in a national title in 2000!
Ostrander Made Steeplechase History
Allie Ostrander of Boise State became the first woman in the history of the NCAA Division I Outdoor T&F Championships to win three consecutive steeplechase titles.
UCLA’s Boldon Bounced Back With 100 MR
Ato Boldon of UCLA set a meet record in the Men’s 100 Meters at the 1996 NCAA Division I Outdoor Track & Field Championships.
Let’s Discus(s) Some NCAA Throwing History
Cliff Felkins & Eric “Duke” Kicinski both won discus titles at the NCAA DI & NCAA DII level and were members of Texas Tech’s national championship team in 2019.
“Year Of The Vault” Ends In Epic Duel
Sandi Morris and Demi Payne raised the bar in the Women’s Pole Vault during an epic 2015 season that was dubbed “The Year of the Vault.”
Lalang Avenged Loss, Made History
Lawi Lalang beat Edward Cheserek in a thrilling duel to set a meet record in the 5000 Meters at the 2014 NCAA DI Outdoor T&F Championships & doubled back to finish runner-up in the 1500 Meters the next day.
Wolcott Hurdled Into NCAA History
Fred Wolcott of Rice won five NCAA hurdling titles at the NCAA Outdoor Track & Field Championships, including three consecutive crowns in the 220-yard version.
Tarr Family Collects Father-Daughter NCAA Crowns
Jerry Tarr & Sheila Tarr were the first father-daughter pair of each win an individual NCAA title at the NCAA DI Outdoor Track & Field Championships.