Tipton Led 1-2-3 Oregon Finish In 1964 JT
The first 1-2-3 finish in any event at the NCAA Division I Outdoor Track & Field Championships wasn’t as easy as the saying goes.
Host Oregon had a favorite in the javelin with Les Tipton, the year’s leading American as the 1964 NCAA meet returned to Hayward Field in Eugene, Oregon. The 1964 NCAA meet was the final one in which marks from the trials carried over to the next day’s finals in field events.
In Friday’s trials Tipton provided a solid starting point, topping all throwers at 249-10½ (76.16m), but he was joined by two unlikely teammates advancing to the finals – unlikely only because of the previous several weeks.
The Ducks’ Ron Gomez was third in the trials at 230-7½ (70.28m), which gave him some sweet satisfaction – a year earlier he threw 233-4½ (71.12m) yet failed to reach the finals at the 1963 NCAA meet in Albuquerque, New Mexico.
“I can get up for a meet like this,” Gomez told Jerry Uhrhammer of the Eugene Register-Guard. Gomez related that he’d been throwing “lousy” the past few weeks, but here he was relaxed.
Even more surprising was the UO’s Gary Reddaway, who qualified fifth at 219-10 (67.00m) after having not thrown even in practice the previous six weeks due to a sore elbow. He took a cortisone shot for this meet but his list of ailments had grown to having a cold and hay fever, plus being kicked in the thigh by a horse the week before.
In the first round of Saturday’s finals, Gomez moved into second place at 232-8½ (70.92m), putting Oregon at 1-2-6 (Reddaway had moved down a notch).
Reddaway provided the final touch in Round 2 after his first throw in the final “hurt like a fury” as he told the Register-Guard. He said his next try didn’t hurt at all as the spear sailed to a PR of 246-1½ (75.02m) which gave Oregon a 1-2-3 that survived the final round (Tipton did not improve).
The javelin was the first event on the meet’s final day, and the 24 points Oregon gained started an avalanche that saw the Ducks amass 70 points, 30 more than second-place San Jose State.
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.
Providence’s Smith Left Field In The Dust
Kim Smith won the 5000 meters at the 2004 NCAA Division I Outdoor T&F Championships by 36.04 seconds in 15:48.86 for the largest margin of victory in meet history.
Gatlin Doubled Up In Back-To-Back Years
Justin Gatlin completed back-to-back 100-200 doubles at the NCAA DI Outdoor T&F Championships in 2001 & 2002. He went 10.08/20.11 & 10.22/20.18 in those respective years.
UTEP’s Hoglund First To Crack 70-Foot Barrier
Hans Hoglund was the first man to touch the 70-foot barrier in the SP at the NCAA DI Outdoor T&F Championships. He also won by more than 4 feet with his 21.33m (70-0) heave in 1975.
LSU’s Hobbs Couldn’t Be Caught In 2018
Aleia Hobbs anchored LSU to a 4×100 relay MR of 42.25 & then doubled back to win the 100 by 0.23 seconds at the 2018 NCAA DI Outdoor T&F Championships.
Michael Johnson Had 1990 NCAAs To Remember
All eyes were on Michael Johnson of Baylor in the 4×400-meter relay at the 1990 NCAA Division I Outdoor Track & Field Championships.
Riley Completed Unprecedented Double In 2012
Andrew Riley completed the only 100-110H double in NCAA DI Outdoor T&F Championships history in 2012. Riley won the 100 in 10.27 & then captured the 110H crown in 13.53
Leatherwood Rolled To Back-To-Back 400 Titles
Lillie Leatherwood won back-to-back 400-meter titles at the NCAA Division I Outdoor T&F Championships in 1986 & 1987. She set a meet record of 50.90 in that second year.
Iowa’s Jones Made Distance History
Charles “Deacon” Jones set a meet record in the 2-mile at the 1957 NCAA Outdoor Track & Field Championships with his time of 8:57.6.
Locke Doubled Up On Sprint Titles In 1926
Roland Locke entered the 1926 NCAA Outdoor T&F Championships as the WR holder in the 220. He left with the meet record in that event (20.9) & also won the 100 in 9.9.
McLain Bounded To All-Conditions TJ Best
Erica McLain won the triple jump at the 2008 NCAA DI Outdoor Track & Field Championships by nearly two feet! McLain bounded to an all-conditions meet best at 14.60m (47-11).