Benita Fitzgerald broke barriers and records as a hurdler at Tennessee, becoming the first collegiate athlete to finish the 100-meter hurdles in under 13 seconds. Her groundbreaking time of 12.97 at the 1982 Penn Relays was just the beginning, as she continued to push the limits, eventually lowering her best time to 12.84 in 1983.…
Glenn “Slats” Hardin’s freshman year in 1932 was nothing short of phenomenal, setting a world record and securing an Olympic silver medal in the 400-meter hurdles, a feat achieved before he even competed for LSU’s varsity team. This early success was a sign of the legendary status he would achieve in collegiate track and field,…
Rosalyn Bryant’s collegiate career at Cal State LA and Chicago State was a showcase of her extraordinary talent across sprint distances, making her the only athlete to clinch collegiate titles in the 100, 200, and 400 meters while competing in the AIAW, the body that governed women’s collegiate sports at the time. Her tenure spanned…
Regina Cavanaugh’s contributions to collegiate athletics, particularly in the shot put, set a new standard for excellence. At the 1987 NCAA DI Outdoor Track & Field Championships, Cavanaugh not only secured her third consecutive outdoor title but also made history as the first female athlete to win three championships in any event in meet history.…
Balázs Kiss, a name synonymous with hammer throw excellence, concluded his flawless collegiate career at Southern California with a remarkable achievement: securing his fourth consecutive NCAA DI Outdoor Track & Field Championship title in 1996. This victory not only marked him as the fourth athlete in the history of the meet to win the same…
Trecia-Kaye Smith distinguished herself as a versatile and dominant force in both the long jump and triple jump during her time at Pittsburgh. With a remarkable tally of scoring 15 times across both events at the NCAA Championships, Smith’s athletic prowess was evident, capturing seven titles and securing five runner-up finishes. Her exceptional performances in…
Amy Skieresz’s tenure at Arizona was marked by an unparalleled dominance in distance running, a testament to her endurance and strategic racing prowess. Winning every one of the six track races she entered at the NCAA Championships, Skieresz’s name became synonymous with victory, particularly in the 5000 meters and 10,000 meters. Her back-to-back indoor and…
Before Bill Dellinger became a USTFCCCA Hall of Fame coach, he was a trailblazing distance runner for Oregon, setting a standard that would shape the future of the program. Winning the NCAA mile championship as a sophomore in 1954 and securing a runner-up position in 1955 marked the beginning of his illustrious career. His evolution…
Hollis Conway’s senior season in 1989 at Louisiana is still celebrated for setting collegiate high jump records that have endured for more than three decades. His journey to these heights began the previous year when he clinched an Olympic silver medal in Seoul, setting a then-all-time best for collegiate athletes with a jump of 2.36m…
Karl Salb’s legacy in collegiate shot putting is marked by an extraordinary series of victories and records that highlight his dominance in the sport. At Kansas, Salb achieved a milestone that remains rare in the annals of collegiate athletics: winning three NCAA titles in shot put both indoors and outdoors, accumulating an impressive total of…
Louise Ritter’s collegiate career in high jump was marked by a series of consistent top finishes and championship victories, establishing her as one of the premier athletes in the event. Her reign at the AIAW Outdoor Track & Field Championships, where she won three consecutive titles from 1977-79 and set new meet records each time,…
Larry Myricks made a significant impact as a sophomore at Mississippi College, a Division II school, by winning the NCAA DI Outdoor long jump title and earning a spot on the U.S. Olympic team. His Olympic hopes were dashed by a broken ankle during the warm-up in Montreal. Despite this setback, Myricks made a strong…
Southern California’s Angela Williams carved out a unique niche in NCAA history with her sprinting excellence, becoming the only athlete, male or female, to clinch four consecutive 100-meter titles at the NCAA DI Championships, doing so from 1999 to 2002. Williams’s 1999 victory was groundbreaking, marking her as the first female freshman and the first…
Marty Liquori’s name is etched in the annals of collegiate track history, not just for his accomplishments but for the dramatic narratives that accompanied them. As a sophomore at Villanova, Liquori catapulted to prominence by defeating the mile world record holder at the NCAA Outdoor Track & Field Championships, the first of his three consecutive…
Dyrol Burleson was a dominant middle-distance runner, who enjoyed a remarkable college career in the early 1960s. As a high school student from Cottage Grove, Ore., Burleson had already established himself as a standout athlete by setting a national record in the mile. He enrolled at the University of Oregon and made an immediate impact,…
Michael Carter, a dual-sport athlete at Southern Methodist University (SMU), excelled in both track & field and football. As an All-American in football and winner of seven NCAA Division I shot put titles, he established the record for the most titles in a single discipline, both indoors and outdoors. Carter claimed the NCAA Indoor Championships…
Joetta Clark emerged as a track & field phenom during her collegiate years at the University of Tennessee in the early 1980s. Over the course of her collegiate career, she claimed an impressive nine national collegiate titles, which included five individual wins and four as part of championship-winning relay teams. Joetta’s primary event was the…
Michael Conley, nearly 40 years after his reign, is still regarded as one of the most-dominant jumpers in history. Throughout his collegiate career, Conley amassed a total of 62 points at the NCAA Division I Outdoor Championships, making him the highest-scoring male field eventer in the history of the competition. Conley’s journey to greatness began…
Sheila Hudson is known for her remarkable jumping abilities. Over the course of her college career, Hudson earned six national collegiate titles, including a historic “double-double” at the NCAA Division I Championships where she became the first woman to sweep the horizontal jumps in both indoor and outdoor events. Hudson’s success on the national stage…
Holli Hyche, an exceptional sprinter from Indianapolis, was a dynamo for the Indiana State Sycamores. With a total of seven individual titles, she holds the record for the most NCAA Division I championships ever won by a sprinter, male or female. Hyche’s ascent to stardom began during her junior season at Indiana State, where she…
Edwin Moses, hailed as one of the greatest hurdlers of all time, revolutionized the sport with his innovative 13-step approach and incredible record-breaking performances as a collegian, ultimately winning Olympic gold. Initially, Moses didn’t view hurdling as his main event. However, during his junior year at Morehouse College, a Division III program, he rapidly became…
Renaldo Nehemiah left an enduring legacy in the sport, particularly in hurdling. Known as “Skeets,” Nehemiah set an astounding seven indoor and two outdoor world records during his time as a collegian, with his 13.00-second record in the 110-meter hurdles remaining unbeaten by a collegian for 40 years. Nehemiah first made a name for himself…
Sonia O’Sullivan, an exceptional distance runner, made a lasting impact on NCAA Division I cross country, indoor track and field, and outdoor track and field, winning a total of five national championship titles across the sports. During the 1990-91 academic year at Villanova University, O’Sullivan achieved a unique feat by winning titles in all three…
Julie Shea, a trailblazing distance runner, became the first female collegian to claim seven national collegiate distance titles. Her impressive accomplishments began with a 5000-meter victory at the 1979 AIAW Track & Field Championships. Later that year, she secured her second title by winning at the 1979 AIAW Cross Country Championships. Shea’s next three titles…
Seilala Sua made history throughout her illustrious career, from her first NCAA title to her seventh and final one. Sua’s historic journey began with her first national victory at the 1997 NCAA Division I Outdoor Championships discus, where she became the first freshman, male or female, to win the event. Six of her titles were…