Saunders Won Back-To-Back SP Titles, Set CR
“Records are going to get broken, but titles are forever.”
That’s a common refrain Raven Saunders heard from her coach Connie Price-Smith.
Saunders doubled up on immortality in 2015 when she completed the indoor-outdoor sweep of the shot put as a freshman at Southern Illinois. She was just the third freshman in meet history to top the outdoor podium – joining Eileen Vanisi of Texas in 1991 and Jessica Cosby of UCLA in 2002 (Vanisi actually set a meet record 24 years prior in her first foray).
Fast forward one year and Saunders returned to the NCAA Division I Outdoor Track & Field Championships as the defending champion, but under a new banner. Saunders followed Price-Smith to Oxford, Mississippi, when the four-time Olympian took over at Ole Miss.
To say Saunders had something to prove at Historic Hayward Field would be a massive understatement. Just a few months earlier, Saunders entered the NCAA Indoor Championships as the collegiate record holder, yet fouled twice after a subpar opening salvo and finished 12th.
Spinning in a rain-soaked circle in Eugene, Oregon, Saunders fouled on her first attempt, hit a safe 17.30m (56-9¼) in Round 2 and then found her groove. Saunders went 18.30m (60-0½) in Round 3 and 18.31m (61-1) in Round 4. While both of those previous marks would have been enough to win her third NCAA crown by more than one foot, Saunders wasn’t done.
Saunders launched the shot 19.33m (63-5) in Round 5 to shatter the 33-year-old collegiate record of 18.99m (62-3¾) famously set by Meg Ritchie in 1983 and toppled the three-year-old meet record of 18.91m (62-0½) established by Tia Brooks of Oklahoma in 2013.
“It was really exciting to see her come in here and break the collegiate record at nationals,” Price-Smith said after the meet. “It doesn’t (usually) happen at nationals, but she’s been doing it and doing it in practices, so we’ve seen it. It’s nice that it actually came out and happened today. She’s been working really hard.”
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.
Texas’ Turner Soared To Triple Jump Greatness
Terri Turner was a two-time TJ champion at the NCAA DI Outdoor T&F Championships. When Turner won her 2nd title in 1986, she set an all-time world best of 13.66m (44-9¾).
Stanford’s Rothert Starred In The Shot Put
Harlow Rothert won three consecutive shot put titles at the NCAA Outdoor T&F Championships between 1928 & 1930. He set meet records in both 1929 and 1930.
Indiana’s Kharun Set Javelin MR In 2003
Irina Kharun won the javelin title at the 2003 NCAA DI Outdoor T&F Championships with a meet record heave of 61.82m (202-10). It also helped her win by more than 30 feet!
Hume Brothers Had Officials Seeing Double
Twins Robert & Ross Hume purposefully tied for the mile crown at the 1944 NCAA Outdoor Track & Field Championships. They tried again in 1945, but officials gave Ross the win.
Woo Pig Sooie! McLeod Sizzled Track In 2015!
Omar McLeod clocked a sizzling 13.01 (+3.9) to win the 110HH at the 2015 NCAA DI Outdoor T&F Championships. Only one man had ever gone faster in meet history at the time.
Felicien Starred In The 100H At NCAAs
Perdita Felicien won back-to-back 100H titles at the NCAA Division I Outdoor T&F Championships in 2002 & 2003. She set a MR of 12.68 in the semifinals on the way to title No. 2.
Truly “Unbroken,” Zamperini Shined At NCAAs
Louis Zamperini set a meet record in the mile of 4:08.3 at the 1938 NCAA Outdoor T&F Championships. Zamperini, who also won the mile in 1939, saw his record last 15 years.
Hughes Soared To Three Consecutive HJ Titles
Tanya Hughes was the first woman to win three high jump titles at the NCAA Division I Outdoor T&F Championships. Hughes did so consecutively in 1991, 1992 & 1993.
Kyriazis Made Point With Javelin In 2017
Ioannis Kyriazis set a meet record in the javelin of 82.58m (270-11) and won by more than 19 feet at the 2017 NCAA DI Outdoor T&F Championships.
Sharpe Bounded To Meet History In 1956
Bill Sharpe became the first man to eclipse the 50-foot barrier in the triple jump at the NCAA DI Outdoor T&F Championships in 1956. Sharpe won with his 15.36m (50‑4¾) effort.