Wyomia Tyus, Tennessee State: Collegiate Athlete Hall of Fame, Class of 2023

Wyomia Tyus elevated Tennessee State’s reputation as the epicenter of women’s speed in the 1960s. As a freshman, Tyus clinched the gold medal in the 100 meters at the 1964 Tokyo Olympics, following in the footsteps of her Tigerbelle teammate and 1960 Rome gold medalist, Wilma Rudolph.

During her collegiate years from 1963 to 1968, Tyus set or tied world records eight times, both indoors and outdoors. Her first world record came in the Toyko Olympic quarterfinals, matching the global best of 11.2 seconds.

At a time when women’s collegiate national championships were not yet established, Tyus remained unbeatable in the 100 meters at the AAU national championships from her freshman through junior seasons (1964-66). She also dominated the indoor scene, securing three AAU 60-yard titles between 1965 and 1967.

In 1968, Tyus continued to make history at the Mexico City Olympics during her final year as a collegiate athlete. She earned a second consecutive gold medal in the 100 meters, becoming the first person, male or female, to win two Olympic golds in the century event.