Enyeart Set Meet Record In 800 Meters

Celebrating A Century of NCAA Track & Field Championships

Enyeart Set Meet Record In 800 Meters

June 4, 1977

No one had an answer for Mark Enyeart’s first move in the 800 meters at the 1977 NCAA Division I Outdoor Track & Field Championships.

The Utah State senior shot to the front and led all the way in setting a meet record of 1:45.16.

But Enyeart had an answer to the others who felt they were boxed in the tightly bunched field: “If you are in front all the way, that can’t happen to you.”

And the field should have known better. Enyeart had the same strategy back in 1975 when he won his first NCAA Outdoor title and again two weeks later in turning back world record holder Rick Wohlhuter at the AAU National Championships in 1:44.9.

Enyeart’s biggest move might have come a year before his first NCAA victory: That’s when he followed Aggie coach Ralph Maughan’s suggestion to try the half-mile. “I wasn’t getting anywhere in the quarter,” he said after his 1975 AAU win. “I’ve run only 46.3.”

Enyeart – who made the U.S. Olympic team for Montreal after redshirting the 1976 season – later went on to set an indoor world best in the 600 meters of 1:16.91 in 1983.

posted: November 29, 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
Reese Left Her Mark On NCAA LJ
June 12, 2008

Brittney Reese won the long jump at the 2008 NCAA DI Outdoor T&F Championships with a mark of 6.93m (22-9). Reese missed the meet record by just 1cm (½ inch).

Tupuritis Shocked The Field In 1996
May 31, 1996

Einars Tupuritis won the 800 at the 1996 NCAA DI Outdoor T&F Championships by 0.14 seconds! Turpiritis crossed the finish line in 1:45.08.

Ellis Sent USC To A Thrilling Victory
June 9, 2018

Kendall Ellis had a remarkable come-from-behind victory in the 4×400 relay at the 2018 NCAA DI Outdoor T&F Championships that sent Southern California to the meet title.