Jenkins Set Low-Altitude Meet Best In 1999

Celebrating A Century of NCAA Track & Field Championships

Jenkins Set Low-Altitude Meet Best In 1999

LaTasha Jenkins of Ball State ran the 200 meters at the 1999 NCAA Division I Outdoor Track & Field Championships in Boise, Idaho, much the way she might have written one of her short stories – with a great ending. 

Jenkins was a senior English major with a penchant for fiction, but her final race for the Cardinals didn’t exactly start off as a masterpiece.

“She had the world’s worst start,” Ball State coach Kelly Lycan told the Star Press of hometown Muncie, Indiana.

Jenkins threw in a major twist on the homestretch when she caught defending champion Debbie Ferguson of Georgia near the midpoint and stormed home to a solid victory in 22.29, becoming the first women’s NCAA champion for Ball State in any sport. 

Her time was a stunner, too, matching Nebraska’s Merlene Ottey from 1982 and behind only Dawn Sowell of LSU (22.04 in 1989) on the all-time list. 

It wasn’t just that she won the NCAA title, Lycan explained to David Woods for Track & Field News. “It was more the way she did it. She made the crowd go ‘oooh’.”

“I’m not that surprised,” said Jenkins. “I think I was just happy and relieved that I was capable of doing it. Just showing the world that small schools are just as fast.”

posted: November 22, 2020
1921-2021
The NCAA's First Championships

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.

Memorable Moments
Sink Steepled Into The Record Book

Sid Sink won back-to-back titles in the steeplechase at the NCAA Division I Outdoor T&F Championships in 1970 & 1971. He set meet records in each of those years.

Turner Left No Doubt In 800 Meters
June 2, 1995

Inez Turner won the 800 meters at the 1995 NCAA Division I Outdoor T&F Championships by 2.24 seconds for what is still the largest margin of victory in meet history.

Cheruiyot Won By Slim Margin In 1989
June 3, 1989

Kip Cheruiyot beat teammate Peter Rono by 0.03 seconds in the 1500 at the 1989 NCAA DI Outdoor T&F Championships. It was the closest margin of victory since the NCAA adopted FAT.

Emordi Led Texas Southern 1-2 LJ Finish In 1987
June 5, 1987

Paul Emordi led the only 1-2 finish by teammates in the men’s long jump at the NCAA Division I Outdoor Track & Field Championships in 1987. Emordi won with a leap of 8.25m (27-0¾).

Anchor Down: Tolbert Set 400H CR In 1997
June 6, 1997

Ryan Tolbert set a collegiate record in the 400 Hurdles of 54.54 at the 1997 NCAA Division I Outdoor T&F Championships. Tolbert also finished third in the open 400!