Villanova’s Delany Starred In NCAA 1500/Mile
A duel of collegiate miler greats was one of the features of the 1956 NCAA Outdoor Track & Field Championships at Edwards Stadium on the campus of California at Berkeley.
The headliners were about as big as possible, pitting the first two collegians to break the 4-minute mile barrier with each having done so impressively.
Defending NCAA mile champ Jim Bailey of Oregon was the first sub-4 collegiate miler at 3:58.6, upsetting Australian countrymate and mile world record holder John Landy in early May with a ferocious last lap of 55.5. Bailey’s time was a PR by seven seconds.
A well-beaten third in that race was Villanova’s Ron Delany, but the sophomore showed amazing improvement a month later when he chopped nearly six seconds off his PR with a 3:59.0 to edge Denmark’s Gunnar Nielsen – a co-world record holder in the 1500 and indoor mile WR holder. Delany’s last 120 yards was clocked in 14.4 – then the fastest finish of any sub-4 miler.
With 1956 being an Olympic year, the NCAA held a 1500 meters instead of the then-normal mile.
Nobody was surprised that neither fast-finisher wanted the early lead, but no one else was extremely interested to lead so the pace dawdled – 2:06.6 for the first two laps with all 16 runners in the field bunched together.
At the bell lap, Don Bowden of the host Cal Golden Bears shot to the front and still led with half a lap to go, although Bailey was right with him and seemed well poised to unleash his kick.
However, Delany beat Bailey to the punch, emerging from the pack and going wide around the last curve to take the lead. Bailey followed as the two sprinted furiously, quickly separating themselves from the rest.
Delany held the lead all the way to the tape, winning by some five feet in a meet-record 3:47.3. Bailey (3:47.6) followed as the top five all bettered the previous 1500 meet record. Delany’s last lap was timed in 54.1, while Bailey’s was 54.6.
Delany would add global superiority in the fall, winning the Melbourne Olympics 1500 for his native Ireland. No other miler has ever won the 1500 or mile titles in the NCAA and Olympics in the same year.
Delany added three more career NCAA mile titles, winning the mile in 1957 and 1958 – the latter part of a double with the 880. During his senior season at Villanova he set the first of three career indoor mile world 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.
Villanova’s Delany Starred In NCAA 1500/Mile
Ron Delany won four career titles at the NCAA Outdoor T&F Championships, including three consecutive 1500/mile crowns from 1956 to 1958. He set MRs in the 1500 (3:47.3) & mile (4:03.5).
Patience Paid Off For Stanford’s Plumer In 1984
PattiSue Plumer finally broke through at the 1984 NCAA DI Outdoor T&F Championships. Plumer set the 5K MR of 15:39.38 after finishing runner-up in the 3K three consecutive times.
NCAA 100 On Spring Break
With the plethora of collegiate track & field and cross country slated to take place over the first-half of March, our daily posts highlighting the best from a century of NCAA Outdoor Track & Field Championships will take a “spring break” from March 1-15.
Gig ‘Em, Lindon: Victor Ruled The Decathlon
Lindon Victor won back-to-back decathlon titles at the NCAA DI Outdoor T&F Championships in 2016 & 2017. He has the No. 2 & No. 3 largest point totals in meet history.
Greene Came Up Clutch In 1989 Long Jump
One of Joe Greene’s best days of long jumping started off dismally. It would end with a victory in one of the most memorable competitions in the near 100-year history of the NCAA Division I Outdoor Track & Field Championships.
SMU’s Dean Starred In The Javelin At NCAAs
Windy Dean is the only woman in NCAA DI history to win three consecutive javelin titles at the Outdoor Championships. Dean did so from 1996 to 1998.
Cal’s Williams Set World Record In 1936
Archie Williams set a world record in the 400 of 46.1 in the heats of the 1936 NCAA Outdoor T&F Championships. Williams then won the NCAA title by just 0.1 seconds!
Coghlan Made History In Back-To-Back Years
Eamonn Coghlan made history in back-to-back years at the NCAA Division I Outdoor Track & Field Championships in 1975 & 1976!
Henderson Set 400-Meter Records In 2005
Monique Henderson set a collegiate record in the 400 of 50.10 at the 2005 NCAA DI Outdoor Track & Field Championships.
Fight On, Clancy: Edwards Doubled Up With MRs
Clancy Edwards completed the 100-200 double at the 1978 NCAA DI Outdoor Track & Field Championships with meet records in each event – 10.07 in the 100 & 20.16 in the 200.