Thomas Rose To Occasion In The High Jump

Celebrating A Century of NCAA Track & Field Championships

Thomas Rose To Occasion In The High Jump

June 6, 1987

Mazel Thomas didn’t have to look far to find her toughest competition in the high jump at the 1987 NCAA Division I Outdoor Track & Field Championships – usually it was her Abilene Christian teammate Yolanda Henry.

So it was surprising when the bar was raised to 1.89m (6-2¼) that Thomas was the only ACU Wildcat left in the competition. After all, Thomas was second only two weeks earlier at the NCAA Division II meet, when Henry cleared 1.91m (6-3¼) for a fourth-straight NCAA DII crown.*

But this was Thomas’ day as she topped 1.89m (6-2¼) to equal her Jamaican record and register the first – and still, only – Abilene Christian women’s title in meet history.

“I was a little nervous before my second attempt at 6-2¼,” Thomas said afterwards. “My legs started to shake, but I was able to calm down. This really feels great.”

*Yolanda Henry of Abilene Christian is only one of two women in NCAA history who have won four consecutive high jump titles. Kim Oden of Nebraska Wesleyan joined her in that regard between 1989 and 1992 at the NCAA Division III Outdoor Track & Field Championships. It has never happened at the NCAA Division I level.

posted: October 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
Plab Reached Lofty Heights In NCAA HJ

Darrin Plab won back-to-back HJ titles at the NCAA DI Outdoor T&F Championships in 1991 & 1992. Plab cleared 2.34m (7-8) in 1992 & tied the 2nd best bar in meet history.

Peoples Made History One Lap At A Time

Maurice Peoples won the 440-yard dash in 1973 & then really turned up the heat. Peoples split 43.4 on the Sun Devils’ mile relay team that finished third in the final.

KU’s Lokedi Set 10K MR In 2018

Sharon Lokedi won the 10K at the 2018 NCAA DI Outdoor T&F Championships in a meet-record 32:09.20. Lokedi led five other women under the old final-site best, too.

Can Ereng Kick It? Yes, He Can!

Paul Ereng won back-to-back 800-meter titles at the NCAA DI Outdoor T&F Championships in 1988 & 1989. Ereng is still the current indoor record holder in the event.

Dwight Stones Set High Jump WR In 1976

Dwight Stones set a world record in the high jump of 2.31m (7-7) at the 1976 NCAA DI Outdoor T&F Championships. Stones also raised the MR by more than 3 inches!