Peoples Made History One Lap At A Time
Maurice Peoples of Arizona State turned in one of history’s greatest one-lap performances at the 1973 NCAA Division I Outdoor Track & Field Championships.
And it wasn’t his upset victory in the 440 yards, which he won relatively easily to equal the year’s fastest time in the world at 45.0 at Bernie Moore Stadium in Baton Rouge, Louisiana.
The real stunner came just under an hour later in the mile relay. The Sun Devils were in seventh place at the final exchange, more than two seconds behind UCLA when Peoples received the baton.
As John Wenos reported for Track & Field News, Peoples “proceeded to eat up the track (and fellow anchormen) like his life depended on it.”
Timers caught Peoples in a staggering 21.5 at the 220-yard point, but he continued to make up ground. Peoples now had the attention of almost everyone as he stormed down the homestretch, bringing ASU to a photo-finish with Texas for the runner-up spot (both in 3:05.0) behind UCLA (3:04.3).
Amazingly, Peoples had just split an unbelievable 43.4, the fastest ever in a mile relay. The fastest split in the 4 x 400-meter relay was 43.2, interestingly set by another Sun Devil great, Ron Freeman, on the second leg of the U.S. Olympic team in 1968 in Mexico City.
Statisticians use a 0.3-second differential to equate 440-yard times with the shorter 400 meters, meaning Peoples’ 43.4 was worth 43.1 on a converted basis. Peoples’ split was equaled as the world’s fastest in the 1992 Olympics by Quincy Watts. The mark surpassed in 1993 when Michael Johnson recorded an auto-timed 42.91 at the World 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.
Gerber Graduated To Elite Company
Farley Gerber of Weber State turned the steeplechase at the 1984 NCAA Division I Outdoor Track & Field Championships into an ultimate game of “Catch Me If You Can.”
Jenkins Set Low-Altitude Meet Best In 1999
LaTasha Jenkins of Ball State set a low-altitude meet best of 22.29 in the 200 meters at the 1999 NCAA Division I Outdoor Track & Field Championships!
Rice Cooked On The Course & Track
Greg Rice, winner of the first NCAA cross country title OTD in 1938, also won two career crowns at the outdoor championships, both in the 2 mile.
Prandini Dazzled At NCAAs In 2015
2015 The Bowerman winner Jenna Prandini scored 26 points at the NCAA Division I Outdoor T&F Championships that year, winning the 100 and finishing runner-up in the 200 and long jump.
Devers Reached Legendary Status In 1988
Gail Devers scored 28½ points at the 1988 NCAA Division I Outdoor Track & Field Championships: 100 (1st, 10.86w), 4×400 (1st, 51.4 split), LJ (2nd, 6.55m | 21-6), 4×100 (2nd), 100H (3rd, 12.90).
Hall Equaled 120H World Record In 1969
Erv Hall won the NCAA title in the 120 Yard Hurdles at the 1969 NCAA Outdoor T&F Championships, one day after setting the world record of 13.2 in the prelims.
Tulloch Shook Nerves, Dominated Javelin
Valerie Tulloch became the first woman in NCAA DI history to win three javelin titles, doing so in 1992 and then back-to-back in 1994 & 1995.
Seagren Vaulted Into The Record Book
Bob Seagren won two career pole vault titles at the NCAA Outdoor Track & Field Championships. He set meet records with victories in 1967 (5.28m/17-4) and 1969 (5.35m/17-7).
Gophers’ Gordien Golden With The Disc
Fortune Gordien finished runner-up in the discus at the 1943 NCAA Championships, spent two years in the Navy during World War II and then won three consecutive titles between 1946 and 1948.
Price Was Right In The Hammer
DeAnna Price won back-to-back hammer throw titles at the NCAA Division I Outdoor Track & Field Championships in 2015 and 2016.