Brown Soared To HJ Meet Records
It took a couple of years, but Reynaldo Brown of Cal Poly finally found some competition in the high jump at the 1973 NCAA Division I Outdoor Track & Field Championships.
It was almost more than he bargained for.
Brown won the 1971 NCAA title with a meet-record 7-3 (2.21m) by a relatively easy margin of 3 inches (7 centimeters), but when he cleared the same height at the 1973 meet, he was in third place.
Ahead on fewer misses were both Tom Woods of Oregon State and Arizona’s Robert Joseph. The height matched Joseph’s PR, while Woods – NCAA champ in 1972 as a freshman at 7-3¼ (a new MR, but also 2.21m) – had cleared a collegiate record 7-4½ (2.25m) earlier in the year.
Brown took control with a first-attempt clearance at 7-4 (2.23m), while Woods needed all three tries to get over and Joseph could go no higher.
Brown – who used the straddle technique, still predominant in those days – found himself battling a flopper. It wasn’t the first time for Brown, who in 1968 made the Olympic final, placing fifth as a 17-year-old when another Oregon State star – Dick Fosbury – won the gold with the style named after him. Woods, in fact, would train sometimes with Fosbury.
The bar next went to 7-5 (2.26m), a height that “featured probably the six best consecutive misses ever recorded there, as both Brown and Woods had the crowd gasping on each attempt,” wrote Garry Hill of Track & Field News.
Brown thus got the win with fewer misses at 7-4, but Woods also earned a share of the meet record.
For Brown, it was his fourth NCAA outdoor high jump title – still the most by a man, combining all divisions – as he preceded his 1971 and 1973 NCAA Division I (called the University Division then) victories by winning the College Division. All four wins came with meet records.
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.
Bagyula Boasted Incredible Pole Vault Prowess
Istvan Bagyula won three consecutive pole vault titles at the NCAA DI Outdoor T&F Championships between 1990 & 1992. He was the first to clear 19 feet (5.80m) in 1991.
Rotich Went Back-To-Back-To-Back In Steeple
Anthony Rotich won three consecutive steeplechase titles, doing so from 2013 to 2015. His 8:21.19 from 2013 is the ninth fastest mark in meet history.
Lawrence Twins Doubled Down On Outdoor Crowns
Twins Shadae & Shardia Lawrence both won titles at the NCAA Division I Outdoor T&F Championships: Shardae in the discus (2017); Shardia in the triple jump (2019).
Sink Steepled Into The Record Book
Sid Sink won back-to-back titles in the steeplechase at the NCAA Division I Outdoor T&F Championships in 1970 & 1971. He set meet records in each of those years.
Georgia Tech’s Taylor Triumphed In 1998
Angelo Taylor won the 400 Hurdles and doubled back to anchor the winning 4×400 relay team at the 1998 NCAA DI Outdoor Track & Field Championships.
Tennessee’s Skinner Set Javelin MR In 1970
Bill Skinner set a meet record in the javelin of 82.49m (270-8) at the 1970 NCAA Division I Outdoor T&F Championships.
Turner Left No Doubt In 800 Meters
Inez Turner won the 800 meters at the 1995 NCAA Division I Outdoor T&F Championships by 2.24 seconds for what is still the largest margin of victory in meet history.
Cheruiyot Won By Slim Margin In 1989
Kip Cheruiyot beat teammate Peter Rono by 0.03 seconds in the 1500 at the 1989 NCAA DI Outdoor T&F Championships. It was the closest margin of victory since the NCAA adopted FAT.
Emordi Led Texas Southern 1-2 LJ Finish In 1987
Paul Emordi led the only 1-2 finish by teammates in the men’s long jump at the NCAA Division I Outdoor Track & Field Championships in 1987. Emordi won with a leap of 8.25m (27-0¾).
Anchor Down: Tolbert Set 400H CR In 1997
Ryan Tolbert set a collegiate record in the 400 Hurdles of 54.54 at the 1997 NCAA Division I Outdoor T&F Championships. Tolbert also finished third in the open 400!