Southern’s Milburn Clears All Hurdles In His Way

Celebrating A Century of NCAA Track & Field Championships

Southern’s Milburn Clears All Hurdles In His Way

June 9, 1973

Rodney Milburn of Southern capped a legendary collegiate career 47 years ago when he won the 120-yard high hurdles title at the 1973 NCAA Outdoor Track & Field Championships in a meet-record time of 13.1.

Dominant doesn’t begin to describe Milburn’s athletic prowess from 1971 to 1973.

Over that three-year stretch, Milburn went undefeated in outdoor competition and won two NCAA outdoor titles. That’s only counting what he did at the collegiate level.

On a global level, Milburn set a world record to win the gold medal at the 1972 Munich Olympic Games, one of six ratified world records in his career. The year before, Milburn was rated by Track & Field News as the World Men’s Athlete of the Year and was the only hurdler to earn that honor in the 1970s.

The hurdles on the track weren’t the only obstacles in his life, though. Milburn grew up in segregation, bursting onto the scene at a black-only high school in Opelousas, Louisiana, before attending predominantly-black Southern. The Jaguars competed nationally in the NAIA as well as the NCAA’s college division, and Milburn ended up with 12 national collegiate high hurdle titles, combining all levels indoors and out.

The 1973 NCAA meet was held for the first time in Baton Rouge at LSU, just across town from Southern. It was Milburn’s first visit to the flagship campus.

“I’m especially glad to have run so well here,” he told the press afterwards. “This is my last college race and most of the people here have seen me only on television.”

posted: June 18, 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
O-H-I- Oh, Reynolds Was Fast!
June 6, 1987

Butch Reynolds set a meet record in the 400 of 44.13 at the 1987 NCAA Division I Outdoor T&F Championships. He barely missed his own collegiate record of 44.10.

Fynes Won NCAA Titles For Two Programs

Sevatheda Fynes won three career titles at the NCAA DI Outdoor T&F Championships. What’s even more impressive is that she did it for two programs – Eastern Michigan & Michigan State.

El Moutawakel Had Legendary Year In 1984

Nawal El Moutawakel set a meet record in the 400 hurdles of 55.84 at the 1984 NCAA Division I Outdoor Track & Field Championships. She also won Olympic gold that year in the event.

Florida State’s England Kicked To 1500 CR
June 15, 2008

Hannah England set a collegiate record in the 1500 of 4:06.19 at the 2008 NCAA DI Outdoor T&F Championships & led two other women under 4:08 in one of the meet’s fastest finals.