The Best Track And Field Athlete From Every NCAA Tournament School
The Best Track And Field Athlete From Every NCAA Tournament School
We picked the best track and field athlete from each NCAA Basketball Tournament school.
The 2019 NCAA DI Men’s Basketball Tournament begins this week, and in honor of March Madness we’ve selected the best track and field athlete— past or present— from each of the tournament’s 68 schools (minus Old Dominion, who does not have a track team; get a track team Old Dominion). Some of the names below are NCAA track and field legends from major programs. Others on this list never even qualified for the NCAA Championships. The 68 here ran the gamut, from Olympic heroes to mere school record holders.
As always, a heavy dose of subjectivity was used to compile this assortment of athletes; it was very difficult to pick just one from some of the premier programs, so have sympathy and try your best to reserve outrage for more pressing matters.
*= NCAA champion
Note: This article has been updated since publication to correct any glaring omissions.
EAST
Duke: Megan Clark (Pole Vault)
2012-2016
North Dakota State: Payton Otterdahl* (Shot Put/Weight Throw)
2014-Present
North Carolina Central: Lee Calhoun* (High Hurdles)
Mid-1950s
VCU: Kiara Porter (200m/400m)
2011-2015
UCF: Octavious Freeman (60m/100m/200m)
2012-2013
Mississippi State: Lorenzo Daniel* (100m/200m)
1985-1988
Liberty: Sam Chelanga* (5,000m/10,000m/XC)
2008-2010
Virginia Tech: Queen Harrison* (100mH)
2007-2010
Saint Louis: Annika Gomell (5,000m/10,000m)
2013-2015
Maryland: Renaldo Nehemiah* (110mH)
1978-1979
Belmont: Hannah Wittman (5,000m/10,000m)
2012-2016
Temple: Edna Brown (400m/400mH)
1978-1982
LSU: Dawn Sowell* (100m/200m)
1989
Yale: Wendell Mottley (200m/400m)
1962-1964
Louisville: Matt Hughes* (3,000m steeplechase)
2008-2011
Minnesota: Garry Bjorklund* (6-Mile)
1969-1973
Michigan State: Leah O’Connor* (Mile/3,000m Steeplechase)
2012-2015
Bradley: Michael Ward (1,500m/Mile/3,000m)
2014-Present
WEST
Gonzaga: Troy Fraley (3,000m Steeplechase)
2013-2018
Farleigh Dickinson: Solomon Chebor* (3-Mile)
1980-1982
Prairie View A&M: Keon Campbell (100m)
2013-2017
Syracuse: Justyn Knight* (3,000m/5,000m/XC)
2014-2018
Baylor: Michael Johnson* (200m/400m)
1987-1990
Marquette: Ralph Metcalfe* (100m/200m)
1932-1936
Murray State: Heather Samuel (100m/200m)
1991-1994
Florida State: Walter Dix* (100m/200m)
2005-2008
Vermont: Judi St. Hilaire (5,000m/10,000m)
1977-1980
Buffalo: Jonathan Jones* (Shot Put)
2013-2015
St. John’s: Tom Farrell (800m)
1960s
Arizona State: Maggie Ewen* (Shot Put/Hammer)
2015-2018
Texas Tech: Sally Kipyego* (1500m/3,000m/5,000m/10,000m/XC)
2007-2010
Northern Kentucky: JJ Webber (5,000m/10,000m)
2012-2016
Nevada: Kamy Keshmiri* (Discus)
1990-1992
Florida: Grant Holloway* (60mH/110mH/Long Jump)
2017-Present
Michigan: Kevin Sullivan* (1,500m/Mile)
1994-1998
Montana: David Morris (3,000m)
1989-1993
SOUTH
Virginia: Paul Ereng* (800m)
1988-1989
Gardner-Webb: Julia O’Neal* (60m/100m/200m)
1999-2002
Ole Miss: Brittney Reese* (Long Jump/High Jump)
2007-2008
Oklahoma: Mookie Salaam* (60m/100m/200m)
2009-2011
Wisconsin: Suzy Favor* (800m/1,500m/Mile)
1986-1990
Oregon: Steve Prefontaine* (3-Mile/5,000m/XC)
1970-1973
Kansas State: Erik Kynard* (High Jump)
2009-2013
UC Irvine: Steve Scott* (1,500m/Mile)
1974-1978
Villanova: Sydney Maree* (1,500m)
1979-1981
Saint Mary’s: Zach Hansen (1,500m)
2012-2016
Purdue: Kara Winger (Javelin)
2005-2008
Old Dominion: N/A
Cincinnati: Annette Echikunwoke (Weight Throw)
2015-2018
Iowa: Kineke Alexander* (400m)
2005-2008
Tennessee: Christian Coleman* (60m/100m/200m)
2014-2017
Colgate: Ray Appenheimer (5,000m/10,000m/XC)
1991-1994
MIDWEST
North Carolina: Tony Waldrop* (800m/1,500m/Mile)
1971-1974
Iona: Leonard Korir* (5,000m/10,000m/XC)
2010-2012
Utah State: Mark Enyeart* (800m)
1974-1977
Washington: Ja’Warren Hooker* (60m/100m/200m)
1999-2000
Auburn: Kerron Stewart* (100m/200m)
2006-2008
New Mexico State: Katara Nelson (200m/400m)
2014-2018
Kansas: Jim Ryun* (800m/1,500m/Mile)
1966-1969
Northeastern: Erik Nedeau (800m/1,500m/Mile)
1990-1994
Iowa State: Betsy Saina* (5,000m/10,000m/XC)
2009-2013)
Ohio State: Jesse Owens* (100-yd/200-yd/Long Jump)
1933-1936
Houston: Carl Lewis* (Long Jump/100m/200m)
1979-1981
Georgia State: LaPorscha Wells (Weight Throw/Hammer Throw)
2013-2017
Wofford: Hannah Steelman (3,000m/5,000m)
2017-Present
Seton Hall: Andy Stanfield (100m/200m)
1948-1951
Kentucky: Keni Harrison* (60mH/100mH/400mH)
2013-2015
Abilene Christian: Bobby Morrow* (100m/200m)
Mid-1950s