Juskus Capped Whirlwind Week With Title
Buckle up!
You won’t believe the week Mike Juskus had back in 1981.
Saturday, May 30
Juskus won his third career javelin title at the NCAA Division III Outdoor Track & Field Championships with a heave of 75.80m (248-8) and helped lead Glassboro State College (now Rowan University) to its second of what would be five consecutive team crowns.
After winning his first title as a walk-on freshman in 1978 and finishing runner-up the following year, Juskus hit his stride as a junior. Juskus ended up taking the 1980 crown by more than 33 feet at 78.76m (258-5), a mark that nobody has come within 10 feet of at the NCAA DIII Outdoor Championships since that day.
Wednesday, June 3
Juskus became a new father.
His wife, Doreen, gave birth to their first child, a daughter named Dania Lynn.
Saturday, June 6
Juskus, making his fourth appearance in a row at the NCAA Division I Outdoor Track & Field Championships as a top finisher at the NCAA DIII meet, became the last NCAA DIII athlete to win an NCAA DI javelin title when he launched the implement 83.26m (273-2) on his sixth and final attempt of the rain-soaked afternoon (The meet had been delayed an hour and a half due to thunderstorms). It happened to be the farthest throw by a collegian that year and matched what was the third-best winning mark in meet history up to that point.
“The last two throws before that weren’t so good,” Juskus later told the Morristown (N.J.) Daily Record, his hometown newspaper. “I knew I had a lot more behind that one.”
Juskus also said he self-diagnosed and corrected a problem from those previous attempts (He had been “squaring his shoulders,” which forced each of his throws to the right).
And while Juskus still wasn’t sure that he had done enough to win, fans who remained in attendance at Bernie Moore Stadium had a better look at the proceedings from the bleachers.
“The crowd definitely told me different, though,” Juskus said.
Plus, it would be hard to discount the extra motivation Juskus had that day, too.
“I was down to my last throw and what went through my mind was my baby girl, who is 72 hours old now,” Juskus told the Associated Press after the meet.
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.
Ritchie Doubles Down In The Throws
Meg Ritchie of Arizona became the first woman in the history of the NCAA Division I Outdoor Track & Field Championships to win any two events in 1982.
Three-For-Three: Woodruff Made It Look Easy
John Woodruff of Pittsburgh won three consecutive 800/880 titles at the NCAA Track & Field Championships from 1937 to 1939.
The Tie Goes To The Runner(s)
Bill Straub of Army and Jim Murphy of Air Force TIED for the 5000-meter title at the 1964 NCAA Track & Field Championships!
Ottey’s Audacious Quadruple In 1983
Merlene Ottey of Nebraska sought to win NCAA titles in the 100, 200, 400 and 4×100 relay in 1983.
He’s Great: LSU’s Davis Soars To History
Walter Davis, who turns 41 today, scored 22¼ points at the 2002 NCAA Division I Outdoor Track & Field Championship to lead LSU to the national team title.
Scott Neilson Is NCAA T&F’s Mr. Canada
Scott Neilson of Washington won four consecutive hammer throw titles at the NCAA DI Outdoor Track & Field Championships between 1976 and 1979.
A Crowning Moment For Rogers In 2017
Back in 2017, Raevyn Rogers of Oregon dazzled at the NCAA Division I Outdoor Track & Field Championships with a victory in the 800 and a sizzling anchor on the winning 4×400 relay.
Robinson Brothers Make NCAA T&F History
Can you name the first set of siblings to win NCAA Track & Field titles? We’ll give you a hint: Their last name is Robinson.
UTEP’s Nyambui Goes 7-For-7 Outdoors
Suleiman Nyambui of UTEP never lost a race at the NCAA Division I Outdoor Track & Field Championships. He went a perfect 7-for-7 over four years.
Oxy’s Gutowski Vaults To Record Heights
Bob Gutowski of Occidental won the pole vault at the 1957 NCAA Outdoor Championships with a clearance of 4.82m (15-9¾), a mark that surpassed the world record but was never ratified.