What A Finish In The 1500 Meters!
Three one-thousandths of a second.
That nearly indiscernible sliver of time to the naked eye decided a national title at the 2019 NCAA Division I Outdoor Track & Field Championships in Austin, Texas.
It wasn’t in a sprint. Nor was it in the high hurdles.
Justine Kiprotich of Michigan State and Yared Nuguse of Notre Dame had already galloped 1499 meters around the Mike A. Myers Stadium oval before the final meter would determine which of those two men would capture the 1500-meter crown.
YARED NUGUSE WITH THE LEAN AND THE WIN!!!! pic.twitter.com/AJ8KeHj6cW
— NCAA Track & Field (@NCAATrackField) June 8, 2019
Would it be the undefeated, Big Ten champion Kiprotich, who surged to the front as they rounded the final bend and looked to win the Spartans’ first title in that event since Warren Druetzler in 1951?
Or would it be Nuguse, who anchored the Irish to an incredible victory in the DMR a few months earlier at the NCAA Indoor Championships and closed like a runaway locomotive on a downhill track, going from fourth place with 100 meters to go to right on Kiprotich’s inside shoulder?
Ultimately, it was Nuguse who out-leaned Kiprotich at the finish line for the 0.003-second victory: 3:41.381 to 3:41.384. It was the closest 1-2 finish in meet history since the NCAA adopted Fully Automatic Timing in 1976 (There had been three too-close-to-call, hand-timed finishes pre-FAT in 1935, 1942 and 1945. And the year prior to that final virtual tie, Robert Hume and Ross Hume, twin brothers from Michigan, tied for the mile crown).
Cameron Griffith of Arkansas took third, followed by defending champion Oliver Hoare of Wisconsin. If you go all the way back to ninth, where Sam Worley of Texas ended up right outside of First-Team All-America distinction, each of the top-9 finishers crossed the finish line within 1.42 seconds of each other.
“I was definitely a little worried getting to the 100,” Nuguse said after the race. “I raced against some of these guys and they’re amazing runners.
“I knew I just had to dip down and I went back to thinking about the reason I run and that’s for all of my guys at home who couldn’t be here today. I’m always out here doing it for my team. I think they really pulled me through today.”
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.
ON THIS DAY: Kerley Set 400-Meter CR In Austin
Fred Kerley set a collegiate record in the 400 on this day in 2017. Kerley went 43.70 at the NCAA DI West Preliminary Round in Austin, Texas.
Reese Left Her Mark On NCAA LJ
Brittney Reese won the long jump at the 2008 NCAA DI Outdoor T&F Championships with a mark of 6.93m (22-9). Reese missed the meet record by just 1cm (½ inch).
Foster Won All-Time Classic 110H In 1978
Greg Foster won an epic 110H race at the 1978 NCAA DI Outdoor T&F Championships. Foster beat Renaldo Nehemiah & set an AR, CR & MR in the process with his 13.22.
D’Agostino Won By Slim Margin In 2012
Abbey D’Agostino won back-to-back 5K titles at the NCAA DI Outdoor T&F Championships in 2012 & 2013. When D’Agostino won in 2012, it was by just 0.03 seconds.
Tupuritis Shocked The Field In 1996
Einars Tupuritis won the 800 at the 1996 NCAA DI Outdoor T&F Championships by 0.14 seconds! Turpiritis crossed the finish line in 1:45.08.
Arkansas’ Brown Notched All-Time 100H Mark
Janeek Brown won the 100H at the 2019 NCAA DI Outdoor T&F Championships in 12.40, narrowly missing the collegiate record and meet record.
Brown Paced Tennessee To 1974 Team Title
Doug Brown won back-to-back steeplechase titles at the NCAA DI Outdoor T&F Championships in 1973 & 1974. His victory in 1973 was by 17.2 seconds!
EMU’s Jones Hurdled Into NCAA History
Hayes Jones completed the 120H-220H sweep at the 1959 NCAA Outdoor T&F Championships. Jones won the last 220H title ever awarded at the meet.
Ellis Sent USC To A Thrilling Victory
Kendall Ellis had a remarkable come-from-behind victory in the 4×400 relay at the 2018 NCAA DI Outdoor T&F Championships that sent Southern California to the meet title.
Paige Turned Three NCAA Mid-Distance Titles
Don Paige won three career titles at the NCAA DI Outdoor T&F Championships, including a 800-1500 sweep in 1979.