Texas’ Reid Unrivaled At 400 Meters
Did someone say 400?
Suziann Reid of Texas is the most successful 400-meter runner in NCAA outdoor history – the only athlete in any division with three wins in the 400 and four as a member of a champion 4×400 relay team. In fact, all 10 of her combined indoor/outdoor NCAA titles involve the 400 or the 4×400.
Reid was at her best in her final two years, anchoring the 4×400 with matching 50.6 splits for the clinching points as Texas won the team championships in 1998 and 1999.
In 1999, she won the 400 for a record third time and flashed a huge smile. “I was happy, you know,” she told Randy Riggs of the Austin American-Statesman. “They say I’m dominant in this event, so I wanted to finish with a bang.”
In her final race as a Longhorn, she held off UCLA and Southern California for the deciding points in a tight team battle: Texas won the team title with 62 points over the Bruins (60) and the Women of Troy (58).
“I had it under control,” Reid said when asked about being challenged halfway through the last lap by UCLA’s Michelle Perry. “She wasn’t going to pass me. I knew nobody was going to pass me.”
It was a perfect ending to Reid’s collegiate career as not only did the Longhorns win the team crown, but the 4×400 squad set a collegiate record of 3:27.08, breaking the mark of 3:27.50 established by the Longhorns in 1996 when Reid was a freshman. That same year she led a 1-2-3 Texas finish, the only such sweep in the event (men or women).
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.
SIU’s Roggy Dominated The Javelin In 1978
Bob Roggy won the javelin title at the 1978 NCAA DI Outdoor T&F Championships by more than 20 feet. Roggy qualified first for the final with a MR heave of 89.30m (293‑0).
Makusha Made History In Bowerman Year Of 2011
Ngoni Makusha became just the fourth man in meet history to win individual titles in both the 100 and LJ. It was his 3rd career LJ crown and he set a CR in the 100 of 9.89.
George Mason’s Gage Shocked The NCAA LJ In 1988
Nena Gage won the long jump at the 1988 NCAA DI Outdoor T&F Championships in a shocking upset over Gail Devers.
Texas’ Thompson Marveled In NCAA Distance Events
Jerry Thompson won three career distance titles at the NCAA Outdoor T&F Championships. His first came in 1943. Then he won again in 1947 & 1948 after serving in World War II.
Grinnell’s Paulu Sprinted To NCAA History
Leonard Paulu was the first athlete to complete the 100-200 double in NCAA Outdoor Track & Field Championships history in 1922. That also made him the 1st to win back-to-back 100 titles, too.
Scott Won Back-To-Back NCAA Hammer Titles
Candice Scott won back-to-back hammer throw titles at the NCAA DI Outdoor T&F Championships in 2003 & 2004. Scott set a meet record of 69.77m (228-11) in that first year.
Drouin Soared To The Bowerman In 2013
Derek Drouin won two career HJ titles at the NCAA DI Outdoor T&F Championships. When Drouin won in 2013, he was only the fourth man to clear 2.34m (7-8) in meet history.
Watts Made Quick Work Of NCAA 400
Quincy Watts set a meet record in the 400 of 44.00 at the 1992 NCAA DI Outdoor Track & Field Championships. It lasted 25 years until 2017.
Iowa State’s Koll Rolled To 5K-10K Crowns
Lisa Koll won three career titles at the NCAA DI Outdoor T&F Championships in dominant fashion. Her average margin of victory in those 5K & 10K races was 37.73 seconds.
LSU’s Hardin Completed Unique 440-220H Double Twice
The nearly unheard of 440-220H double was so nice that Glenn Hardin did it twice! Hardin became the first to do so in meet history in 1933 and then swept them again in 1934.