Ralph Metcalfe Is Mr. Triple-Double

Celebrating A Century of NCAA Track & Field Championships

Ralph Metcalfe Is Mr. Triple-Double

June 23, 1934

Ralph Metcalfe, who was born on this day (May 29) in 1910, won three consecutive NCAA title in two sprint events while at Marquette from 1932 to 1934. It was on June 23, 1934 — the day you see on the post — that he became the first athlete to win three NCAA titles in two separate events.

Metcalfe is one of three men to win three consecutive NCAA titles in the 100 yards or meters — joining Mel Patton of Southern California (1947-1949) and Charlie Green of Nebraska (1965-67) — and one of two men to do so in the “200” (220 yards or 200 meters), joining Walter Dix of Florida State, who accomplished the same feat from 2006-08.

As a sophomore in 1932, Metcalfe equaled the world record in 100 (10.2) and straight 200 (20.3) at the NCAA Championships, a meet that doubled as the Olympic Trials (He would later add a silver and bronze at the 1932 Los Angeles Olympic Games). The following year, he again set or equaled world records in the 100 (9.4 for 100 yards) and straight 200 (20.4 for 220 yards).

His post-collegiate career saw a new collection of highlights: Olympic gold in 1936 with Jesse Owens on the 4×100 relay (Owens and Metcalfe led off the world record-setting quartet), coaching Xavier of Louisiana to the first HBCU victory at the Penn Relays in the 440-yard relay, rising to rank of first lieutenant in World War II for the U.S. Army, and serving four terms in Congress for Chicago until his death 1978.

posted: May 29, 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
Hornbostel Left Mark As A Hoosier

Chuck Hornbostel of Indiana won three consecutive 800/880 titles between 1932 and 1934 and equaled the world record in the 880 yards in 1933.

LoJo Breaks Barriers, Records In Pole Vault

Lawrence Johnson of Tennessee won back-to-back pole vault titles at the NCAA Division I Outdoor Track & Field Championships with some of the largest margins of victory in meet history.

Smith Set Records That Will Last Forever

Karin Smith of Cal Poly won the javelin crown at both the 1982 NCAA Division I & NCAA Division II Outdoor Track & Field Championships with meet records that will never be broken.

Rollins Rewrites Hurdling History
June 8, 2013

Brianna Rollins capped an incredible senior season at the 2013 NCAA DI Outdoor Track & Field Championships with the two fastest times in collegiate history in the 100 Hurdles.