Malone Made Javelin History In 2016

Celebrating A Century of NCAA Track & Field Championships

Malone Made Javelin History In 2016

June 9, 2016

Maggie Malone of Texas A&M didn’t know it at the time, but she could have won the javelin title at the 2016 NCAA Division I Outdoor Track & Field Championships with her first throw.

Eventual runner-up Hannah Carson of Texas Tech wouldn’t put one past 61.55m (201-11) – the distance that Malone threw in Round 1 – even though she did PR at 61.20m (200-9) on her sixth and final throw to put a scare into the Aggie standout.

To be fair, Malone’s eyes weren’t necessarily on the NCAA title itself – but it would be a great secondary prize. With it being an Olympic year, Malone sought the Olympic “A” standard of 62.00m (203-5) – which would be a PR of nearly six feet and set a collegiate record.

After a foul on her third attempt and a 60.51m (198-6) appetizer on her fourth, Malone reared back and launched the implement farther than any other female collegian since the move to the new javelin 16 years earlier. It landed at 62.19m (204-0), more than one foot past the former all-time best set by Indiana’s Irina Kharum at the 2003 NCAA Division I Outdoor Track & Field Championships.

Fast forward a few weeks and Malone became the first woman to win the NCAA javelin crown and top the podium at the U.S. Olympic Trials in the same year.

“This has been the most incredible journey,” Malone told 12thMan.com back in 2016. “I have the greatest coaches in the world and a great support system. It’s surreal to be here and say that I’m going to Rio.”

posted: November 25, 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
LSU Hurdle Dominance Yet To Be Matched

Tananjalyn Stanley set a meet record of 12.70 in the 100 Hurdles at the 1989 NCAA DI Outdoor T&F Championships, which jump-started LSU’s dominance in the event over the next few years.

Barrett Scared Long-Standing MR In 2013
June 8, 2013

Katrena Johnson set a collegiate record in the high jump at the 1985 NCAA Division I Outdoor Track & Field Championships and led a 1-2-3 Arizona sweep!

Bell Rang True In Long Jump

Greg Bell won back-to-back long jump titles at the NCAA Outdoor Track & Field Championships and broke a meet record in 1957!

Stanford Romped To National Title in 1928

Stanford won the team title at the 1928 NCAA Outdoor Track & Field Championships with a then-meet record score of 72 points. Eric Krenz (pictured) led the way with 18 team points.

Smith Jumped Her Way Into Elite Company

Trecia-Kaye Smith won three career titles at the NCAA Division I Outdoor Track & Field Championships with two of those in the long jump, another in the triple jump.