Kendell Williams Was Multi-Talented
It doesn’t get much closer in the heptathlon than it did six years ago at the 2014 NCAA Division I Outdoor Track & Field Championships between Kendell Williams of Georgia and Allison Reaser of San Diego State.
Williams, then a freshman wunderkind who had set the high school record in the event and owned the World junior record in the indoor pentathlon, beat Reaser by just 18 points. That is the smallest margin of victory in meet history, eclipsing the previous standard by two points (Christi Smith of Akron won the NCAA heptathlon title by 20 points 14 years earlier).
Here’s the thing: It shouldn’t have been that close.
Williams held a 192-point lead following Day 1 and extended her advantage to 236 points after soaring 6.13m (20-1½) in the long jump on the first event of Day 2. Defending champion Lindsay Vollmer was in second place for most of the multi and proved to be Williams’ toughest opponent, but aggravated a hip flexor and wouldn’t finish the competition.
True drama unfolded two events later when Williams fell early in the 800. Williams got back to her feet and eventually caught up to the pack, but faded and finished in 2:28.59 (Reaser, however, was 16 seconds faster at 2:12.08 PR and gained 223 points. If Reaser found an extra 1.33 seconds in those two laps, the NCAA title would have been hers).
“My legs were tired and having to get up and run, I kind of hit a wall,” Williams later told the assembled media. “I felt like maybe I had lost it. I was just trying to finish.
“But it feels good to be able to pull it out,” Williams continued. “I just feel really lucky.”
Williams didn’t leave much to chance over the next three years.
After a runner-up finish in 2015 – in what was the deepest heptathlon in meet history – Williams won back-to-back crowns in 2016 and 2017 by an average of 221.5 points. She dominated as a senior in 2017, posting 6265-point total (fifth largest in meet history) and a winning margin of 307 points (third most since 2003).
And while this initiative is about the NCAA Outdoor Championships, Williams was in a class of her own indoors. Williams is the only woman in NCAA DI history to win four national titles in the same indoor event, doing so in the pentathlon from 2014 to 2017.
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.
ON THIS DAY: Kerley Set 400-Meter CR In Austin
Fred Kerley set a collegiate record in the 400 on this day in 2017. Kerley went 43.70 at the NCAA DI West Preliminary Round in Austin, Texas.
Reese Left Her Mark On NCAA LJ
Brittney Reese won the long jump at the 2008 NCAA DI Outdoor T&F Championships with a mark of 6.93m (22-9). Reese missed the meet record by just 1cm (½ inch).
Foster Won All-Time Classic 110H In 1978
Greg Foster won an epic 110H race at the 1978 NCAA DI Outdoor T&F Championships. Foster beat Renaldo Nehemiah & set an AR, CR & MR in the process with his 13.22.
D’Agostino Won By Slim Margin In 2012
Abbey D’Agostino won back-to-back 5K titles at the NCAA DI Outdoor T&F Championships in 2012 & 2013. When D’Agostino won in 2012, it was by just 0.03 seconds.
Tupuritis Shocked The Field In 1996
Einars Tupuritis won the 800 at the 1996 NCAA DI Outdoor T&F Championships by 0.14 seconds! Turpiritis crossed the finish line in 1:45.08.
Arkansas’ Brown Notched All-Time 100H Mark
Janeek Brown won the 100H at the 2019 NCAA DI Outdoor T&F Championships in 12.40, narrowly missing the collegiate record and meet record.
Brown Paced Tennessee To 1974 Team Title
Doug Brown won back-to-back steeplechase titles at the NCAA DI Outdoor T&F Championships in 1973 & 1974. His victory in 1973 was by 17.2 seconds!
EMU’s Jones Hurdled Into NCAA History
Hayes Jones completed the 120H-220H sweep at the 1959 NCAA Outdoor T&F Championships. Jones won the last 220H title ever awarded at the meet.
Ellis Sent USC To A Thrilling Victory
Kendall Ellis had a remarkable come-from-behind victory in the 4×400 relay at the 2018 NCAA DI Outdoor T&F Championships that sent Southern California to the meet title.
Paige Turned Three NCAA Mid-Distance Titles
Don Paige won three career titles at the NCAA DI Outdoor T&F Championships, including a 800-1500 sweep in 1979.