Myricks Starred Across Divisions At NCAAs
It took three years, but Larry Myricks of Mississippi College finally made it back to the top of the podium in the long jump at the 1979 NCAA Division I Outdoor Track & Field Championships.
Half of that time – 18 months – was spent recovering from a broken ankle suffered while warming up for the finals of the 1976 Montreal Olympics. Myricks had won the long jump at the 1976 NCAA Division I Outdoor Track & Field Championships with a leap of 7.96m (26-1½) and looked to be part of a U.S. medal sweep in Montreal.
“This championship was more satisfying than the one in 1976,” Myricks told Lee Baker of the Clarion-Ledger in Jackson, Mississippi. “Because a lot of people said after I got hurt in Montreal that I’d never be able to come back.”
Myricks’ comeback in 1979 – with a then-PR of 8.11m (26-7¼) – was actually just beginning.
He finished the summer with an incredible 8.52m (27-11½) to win the World Cup at the very same Montreal Olympic Stadium where his career got derailed. At the time, the only jump longer was Bob Beamon’s famous 8.90m (29-2½) from the 1968 Olympics in Mexico City.
DID YOU KNOW: Mississippi College is an NCAA Division II program and was when Myricks competed, so he got an opportunity to rack up national titles in each division in his career (That was when top NCAA DII & NCAA DIII athletes were invited to compete at the NCAA DI Championships). In addition to those NCAA DI crowns, he added five more to his haul at the NCAA DII meet, with three coming in the long jump (1976, 1978-1979) and two more in the 200 (1978-1979).
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.