Anchors Aweigh! Navy Wins NCAA Team Title
As today is Veterans Day, we focus on the 75th anniversary of the only service academy to win a team title at the NCAA Outdoor Track & Field Championships – Navy, in 1945.
World War II brought a lot of changes to the United States and that included the NCAA Outdoor Championships in 1944 and 1945, when Navy personnel were not allowed to be away from campus longer than 48 hours. NCAA meets in both years were thus held on one day instead of the then-normal two days.
Marquette Stadium in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, played host to the NCAA meet in each of those years and fuel rationing meant that many programs were unable to send athletes. In fact, even Navy didn’t send anyone in 1944, despite winning its first IC4A crown with a meet-record score.
The 1945 Navy team, however, was even better and proved it by beating defending NCAA champion Illinois in the meet’s closest-then tabulation by just 3⅕ points (If you’re wondering how a team got one-fifth of a point: There were several ties in field events on the 10-8-6-4-2-1 scale).
The Midshipmen had three champions – John Van Velzer in the 100 yards (10.1), Bill Kash in the 440 yards (49.8) and Robert Patton in the javelin (191-1). Patton led a 1-3-5 finish that would eventually only be surpassed by 1-2-3 sweeps in 1964 (Oregon) and 2019 (Mississippi State). Frank Kelley, who was third in the javelin, also scored in the pole vault, tying for fifth.
Not scoring any points for the Middies might have been the team’s best athlete, then known as Clyde L. Scott, who missed the NCAA meet for academic issues. Scott finished the year with the world’s second-fastest time in the 220 hurdles and three years later won the NCAA 110 hurdles title for Arkansas, gaining the name “Smackover” for his hometown in the same state.
Navy then had a famous athlete as its head coach – Earl Thomson, who won the 120-yard hurdles for Dartmouth in the very first NCAA Championships in 1921 in a world record after winning Olympic gold the previous year in Antwerp, Belgium.
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!