Hurdle History Fit For A Queen In 2010

Celebrating A Century of NCAA Track & Field Championships

Hurdle History Fit For A Queen In 2010

The Bowerman was fit for a Queen in 2010.

The same could be said about unprecedented history.

Virginia Tech’s Queen Harrison capped an undefeated senior year in hurdling finals 10 years ago with a never-seen-before-or-since double victory at the NCAA Division I Outdoor Track & Field Championships. Harrison, competing for the final time in a Hokie uniform, captured the NCAA crown in the 400 Hurdles on Friday and then returned to the track on Saturday to snag the 100 Hurdles in one of the fastest winning times in meet history.

“I think a lot of people think it’s easy for me because they only see me at the meets,” Harrison told Inside Hokie Sports in 2010. “They don’t realize all the time that goes into it, from the weight room to working out at the track. Then to do two events at a meet, it takes a lot out of you.”

Harrison had four races in four days at Historic Hayward Field, beginning with the preliminary round of the 400H on Wednesday and ending with the final of the 100H on Saturday. Between then, Harrison would have to qualify for Saturday’s 100H final on Thursday and handle business in the 400H final on Friday, where she entered as the national leader and top qualifier.

The native of Richmond, Virginia, didn’t get out of the blocks as fast as she wanted in the 400H, but quickly made up ground on the competition. Harrison pulled even with archrival and then-leader Ti’erra Brown of Miami (Fla.) as they rounded the Bowerman Curve, surged ahead of her over the final hurdle and added more distance on the run-in to the finish line. It ended up as a 0.67-second win for Harrison, who clocked a 54.55 PR.

“I didn’t have the best start of the race, but if I learned anything through my years in college is that you have to be patient, so I was really patient with this race,” Harrison told the media after the race. “Just because I messed up at the beginning, I didn’t give up.”

Nothing could slow Harrison down in the 100H final the next day.

Harrison blew it open after the fourth hurdle on her way to a 0.17-second victory in 12.67, the third fastest winning time in meet history behind Ginnie Powell’s 12.48 CR and Nichole Denby’s 2004 winner of 12.62. That was 0.06 seconds off Harrison’s 12.61 PR that she ran two months earlier at the Penn Relays that currently makes her the 10th best performer in NCAA history.

“[The double has] been a goal of mine all four years of college,” Harrison told Jon Hendershott of Track & Field News after the meet. “Now that I’ve done it, my answer to how it feels usually is that words can’t describe it. But it does feel great – with a lot of r’s following after that g.”

posted: September 10, 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!