Watts Made Quick Work Of NCAA 400

Celebrating A Century of NCAA Track & Field Championships

Watts Made Quick Work Of NCAA 400

Quincy Watts became known as the “King of the Quarter,” and his ascension to the throne began early at the 1992 NCAA Division I Outdoor Track & Field Championships.

By the time of the 400-meter final at Memorial Stadium in Austin, Watts had run two sub-45 times for the first time in meet history and had a 43.7 anchor leg in the 4×400-meter relay heats on the Southern California team (at 3:00.79 then the fastest non-final foursome in meet history).

Watts – who had also anchored the USC 4×100 team to fifth place – saved his best for the final day, scorching a 44.00 in the 400 final that would last as the meet record for 25 years – a duration that is more than twice as long as any other 400/440 MR in the meet history.

Watts cemented his legendary status with yet another memorable lap, as he and the two closest to him in the 400 – Deon Minor of Baylor and Georgia Tech’s Derek Mills – all ran on stellar 4×4 squads.

The meet’s finale had a memorable last lap. At the final exchange of the 4×400, Baylor led over Georgia Tech, while USC was in fourth place behind Ohio State. Mills overtook Minor to give Tech the win in 2:59.95 with a 43.9 split, and Watts’ blazing finish brought USC up to second in 3:00.58.

Watts’ split of 43.6 culminated a four-day stretch of amazing 400-meter running that has yet to be matched – three rounds of sub-45 times in the 400, plus two sub-44 relay legs.

Later that summer Watts won Olympic gold in Barcelona twice – in the 400 and 4×400, the latter with a 43.1 split that was the fastest recorded at the time.

posted: March 20, 2021
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
O’Brien Glides To Shot Put Dominance

Parry O’Brien, who invented the “O’Brien Glide” technique, won back-to-back shot put titles at the NCAA Outdoor Track & Field Championships in 1952 & 1953, each by more than two feet!

Huber Three-Peats In 3000 Meters

Vicki Huber of Villanova was the first woman to win three consecutive titles in the 3000 Meters at the NCAA Division I Outdoor Track & Field Championships.

Falcon Flew To NCAA Distance Glory

Joe Falcon of Arkansas is the only man in the history of the NCAA Division I Outdoor Track & Field Championships with career national titles in the 1500 & 10,000!

Kyra Jefferson Chomps Collegiate Record
June 10, 2017

Kyra Jefferson of Florida set the current collegiate record and NCAA Outdoor meet record in the Women’s 200 Meters of 22.02 at the 2017 NCAA Division I Outdoor Track & Field Championships.