Kerron Clement Had Record Speed
Kerron Clement had record speed in 2005.
It didn’t matter the classification or event.
World record? Check. Clement got that in the 400 Meters at the NCAA Division I Indoor Track & Field Championships in Fayetteville, Arkansas.
Collegiate records? Double check. Clement captured those in that same indoor race in addition to the 400 Meter Hurdles at the NCAA Division I Outdoor Track & Field Championships.
March 12, 2005
Clement gave the Randal Tyson Track Center its first world record.
Running in the final and against the clock out of Heat 2, Clement stormed out of the blocks and into the lead at the break. Clement poured it on over the second lap and crossed the finish line in 44.57 to take down Michael Johnson’s 10-year-old world indoor record of 44.63 from 1995.
“This is amazing,” Clement told the media after the race. “I can’t describe how I feel right now.”
“Seriously, I wanted to cry,” Clement continued, “because it was so overwhelming that I knew I broke the world record of the great Michael Johnson and now I have it.”
June 11, 2005
Clement entered the NCAA Division I Outdoor Track & Field Championships in Sacramento, California, as the prohibitive favorite to win the 400H. After all, pundits saw what he could do without barriers in his way indoors and he became just the third freshman in meet history to win the event the year before, so very little could stand in his way if he executed his race.
Ultimately, fans wondered if Kevin Young’s 17-year-old collegiate record and meet record of 47.85 in the 400H were in danger, just like Johnson’s world indoor record from three months earlier.
Clement and Bennie Brazell of LSU pushed each other at Hornet Stadium, just like they had done the previous month at the SEC Outdoor Championships. It was a two-man race from the start and when Brazell inched ahead on the homestretch, Clement reeled him back in over the final hurdle and passed him just meters from the finish line for the 0.11-second victory – 47.56 to 47.67.
There was little doubt that Clement would turn professional after the meet and forgo his final two years of collegiate eligibility. Post-collegiate success followed for Clement as he has won eight global medals, including a gold medal in the 400H at the 2016 Rio Olympic Games and back-to-back world championships in 2007 (Osaka) and 2009 (Berlin).
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.