Providence’s Smith Left Field In The Dust
A record 28 women toed the starting line for the 5000-meter final at the 2004 NCAA Division I Outdoor Track & Field Championships in Austin, Texas. Inclement weather three days earlier forced officials to drastically change the meet schedule, which produced the biggest final field in that event in meet history (The current model allows 24 athletes to make the final).
Well, the 26 women who eventually finished second through 26th place were all chasing Kim Smith of Providence. No one should have expected a different result based on Smith’s past.
Smith entered the meet that year on an unbelievable hot streak, having completed the distance double at the NCAA Division I Indoor Track & Field Championships with collegiate record setting marks – 15:14.18 in the 5K on Friday and 8:49.18 in the 3K on Saturday. The native of Auckland, New Zealand, would remain atop the collegiate chart in those events until 2015 (Emily Sisson, Providence) and 2009 (Jenny Barringer, Colorado), respectively.
There wouldn’t be a record time in Austin – at least not in the previous sense.
Smith covered 12½ laps in 15:48.86 – the third fastest winning time since 1991 – and won by a staggering 36.04 seconds. That was – and still is – the largest margin of victory in meet history, nearly doubling the previous best established by Jen Rhines in 1995 (18.88 seconds).
Five months later, Smith demolished a much larger field – 249 other women – at the NCAA Division I Cross Country Championships. Smith won by 18 seconds, which was the biggest time differential between a champion and runner-up since Vicki Huber won in 1989.
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.
Texas’ Hooker High Jumped To NCAA Glory
Destinee Hooker won three career high jump titles at the NCAA DI Outdoor T&F Championships, including a massive victory in 2009 by more than two inches.
De Grasse Sprinted To Otherworldly Double
Andre De Grasse completed the 100-200 double at the 2015 NCAA DI Outdoor T&F Championships with scorching times: 9.75 (+2.7) in the 100; 19.58 (+2.4) in the 200.
Merritt Broke Long-Standing 110H MR In 2006
Aries Merritt broke a 28-year-old meet record in the 110H when he won the crown at the 2006 NCAA DI Outdoor T&F Championships in 13.21.
UGA’s Torrence Made NCAA History With Double
Gwen Torrence completed the 100-200 double at the 1987 NCAA DI Outdoor T&F Championships. Torrence was also the first woman to finish top-8 four times in the 100.
Bayer Gave It His All For NCAA 1500 Title
Andrew Bayer won the 1500 at the 2012 NCAA DI Outdoor Track & Field Championships in one of the closest finishes in meet history – 0.01 seconds.
Tipton Led 1-2-3 Oregon Finish In 1964 JT
Les Tipton led the first podium sweep of any event in the history of the NCAA Outdoor T&F Championships. Tipton and his Oregon teammates went 1-2-3 in the 1964 javelin.
K-State’s Jones Captured Heptathlon Crown In 2015
Akela Jones won the heptathlon at the 2015 NCAA DI Outdoor T&F Championships with 6371 points. That is the fourth-best score in both collegiate history & meet history.
Same Athletes, Same Result For LSU At NCAAs
The LSU foursome of Bennie Brazell, Pete Coley, Robert Parham, Kelly Willie swept the 4×100 & 4×400 crowns at the 2003 NCAA DI Outdoor T&F Championships.
Martin Won Distance Titles For Two Programs
Francis (Frank) Martin made history twice in the NCAA Outdoor Track & Field Championships.
FSU’s Williams Soared To Jumps Double In 2009
Kim Williams swept the horizontal jumps at the 2009 NCAA DI Outdoor T&F Championships. Williams was particularly dominant in the TJ, winning at 14.38m (47-2¼) & by nearly 2 feet.