Sports Commentary - Jamaica Men’s Performance at the Division 1, NCAA Outdoor Championships…

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A Statistical Review 1921- 2019

By Dale Brown

NEW YORK, NY. Tuesday, July 28, 2020 -- The first NCAA sponsored Championship for any Collegiate sport was the Track and Field Championship for men, held in 1921.

Because of the many scholarships awarded annually to international students, the Championship has evolved into a global event with athletes from over fifty countries competing for various universities and colleges.

Jamaican students have consistently been among the most heavily recruited and best performing of all the international athletes.

As recently as 2018, Jamaica with 29 competitors, had the most qualified athletes from the 56 foreign countries which were represented in the NCAA finals.                         

(Great Britain had 21 and Canada 19)

This review will focus on the Jamaican men who gained top three finishes in their individual events at the NCAA Division 1, Championships.

NB- Yards was the measurement used up to 1975 – except the years when the Olympics were held. The metric system has been used exclusively since 1976.

 

100m – * denotes yds

Four men have won the Blue Riband event (5 total wins)

Ray Stewart (TCU), is the most successful performer with victories in 1987 and 1989. He also placed 2nd in 1988

BY GEORGE. George Kerr (375) - representing Jamaica in the 800 meters event.

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Lennox Miller (USC), won in 1968, and also placed 2nd in 1967 *and 1969*

Michael Green (Clemson), won in 1993; Andrew Riley (Illinois), won in 2012

Second place performers: Donovan Powell (TCU) 1995 plus 3rd place in1994

Michael Frater (TCU) 2004, plus 3rd place in 2003.

Dwight Thomas (Clemson), 2002.

Third place: Les Laing (Fresno State) 1953*; 

Dennis Johnson (San Jose State) 1962*; 

Lindley Headley (Nebraska)1965*;

Errol Stewart (UTEP) 1972                                    

Carl Lawson (Idaho State) 1973;

Sanoj-Jay Givans (Texas) 2016                              

Andre Ewers (Florida State) 2018.

200m/220 yds *

Two athletes have won this event: (3 total wins)

Herb McKenley (Illinois) won in 1946*and 1947*                                                 

George Rhoden (Morgan State) won in 1951*

Second place:  Lennox Miller (USC) 1967* and 1968                         

Percival Spencer (TCU) 1997;

Dwight Thomas (Clemson) 2002.                     

Andre Ewers (Florida State) 2018.

Third place: Les Laing (Fresno State) 1953*;

Keith Gardner (Nebraska)1958*

400m- 440yds*

Six men have won the one lap event: (12 total wins)

Bert Cameron (UTEP) won 3 titles in 1980, 1981,1983 and placed 2nd  in 1982           

George Rhoden (Morgan State) won 3 titles in 1950*, 1951* and 1952                          

Herb McKenley (Illinois) won in 1946*, 1947* and placed 2nd in 1944*                               

Greg Haughton (George Mason) won in 1995 and placed 2nd in 1996                         

Davian Clarke (Miami) won in 1996 and placed 2nd  in 1998                                         

Ricardo Chambers (Florida State) 2007 and placed 2nd in 2006                        

Roxbert Martin (Oklahoma) 1997; Fitzroy Dunkley (LSU) 2016.

Second place: Nathan Allen (Auburn) 2017 and 3rd place in 2018.                        

Seymour Fagan (Auburn) 1990; Akeem Bloomfield (Auburn) 2018

Third place: Howard Davis (Texas A&M) 1989; Pete Coley (LSU) 2002

800m/880yds*

Two men excelled at this traditionally weak event for Jamaica (4 total titles)

SILVER BULLET. Lennox Miller (second left, all white), at the 1968 Olympics, finishing second to Jim Hines of the USA.

-       contributed


George Kerr (Illinois) 1959* and 1960; Byron Dyce (NYU) 1968 and 1969*

110 Hurdles

Three men won titles: (4 total wins).

Andrew Riley (Illinois) won in 2010, 2012 and placed 2nd in 2011                   

Robert Foster (Fresno State) won in 1994.                                                                                

Omar McLeod (Arkansas) won in 2015                                                                    

Second place: Chris Pinnock (Texas A&M) 2003 and placed 3rd in 2002                          

Keith Gardner (Nebraska) 1958.

Third place: Richard Bucknor (Texas A&M) 1989.                                              

Stephen Golding (Nebraska) 1991; Damion Thomas (LSU) 2018.

400 Hurdles

Four men won the intermediate hurdles.

Winthhrop Graham (Texas) won in 1989 and placed 2nd in 1987.                                               

Neil Gardner (Michigan) won in 1996; Dean Griffiths (Auburn) won in 2003                   Isa Phillips (LSU) won in 2007.

Second place: Ian Weakly (George Mason) 1996; Bryan Steele (LIU) 2006.                            Kemar Mowatt (Arkansas)2017.

Third place: Kareem Archer (Villanova) 1997, 1998.

High Jump

Christoffe Bryan (Kansas State) won the event in 2017 and placed 2nd in 2016

Ernest Haisley (Illinois) placed 2nd in 1958.

Long Jump

Demar Forbes (LSU) won in 2013 and placed 2nd in 2011, 2012; 

Maurice Wignall (George Mason) placed 2nd in 1997

Odaine Lewis (Texas Tech) placed 2nd in 2018.

Triple Jump

Lennox Burgher (Nebraska) won in 1968 and placed 2nd in 1969.

Second place:  Clive Pullen (Arkansas) 2017; Odaine Lewis (Texas Tech) 2018, Jordan Scott (Virginia) 2019.

Discus

Chad Wright (Nebraska) won in 2012 and placed 2nd in 2013

Decathlon

Maurice Smith (Auburn) placed 3rd in 2003.

Outstanding Performers

Herb McKenley (Illinois) won the 220/440 double in 1946 and 1947

Bert Cameron (UTEP) won three 400m titles in 1980,1981 and 1983 and placed 2nd in 1982

George Rhoden (Morgan State), won three 440yds titles in 1950, 1951 and (400m) 1952.

Andrew Riley (Illinois) completed a unique double when he won the 100m and the sprint hurdles in 2012.  He also won the hurdles in 2010 and placed 2nd in 2011.

Summary

The majority of Jamaican High School athletes have continued the decades old tradition of accepting scholarships to attend colleges or universities in the USA. 

Some will become professional athletes but at the end of their careers, the education they receive will certainly prepare them for a fruitful and productive life. Being on an Athletics team will help to develop leadership skills, teamwork, time management, critical thinking, building confidence and networking which are definitely key assets to achieving success off the track.

 

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Editor’s note. Dale Brown is a sports historian and host of SECOND BASE, the all sports program airing Tuesdays, 7 – 8 pm, on the Wee Radio Network at, www.weeradioonline.com

 

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