The University of Texas at Austin Athletics
National Championship moments: 1986 Women's Outdoor Track and Field
03.19.2007 | Track & Field / Cross Country w, Track & Field / Cross Country
After two years of hard luck at the national championships, the University of Texas claimed its first-ever NCAA Women's Outdoor Track and Field title in 1986.
At the 1984 NCAA Indoor meet, the Horns took second after falling on the last relay. In 1985, Juliet Cuthbert pulled a hamstring that eventually led to the Horns' demise.
In 1986, the Longhorns had a healthy Cuthbert, and it meant a national title. The Jamaican senior defended won individual titles in the 100 meters and 200 meters, and ran on the third-place 4x100 meter relay and fourth-place 4x400 meter relay teams. Her performance helped lead Texas to 65 points as the Longhorns outscored Alabama (55), Texas Southern (47), Tennessee (37) and USC (37).
The 1986 championships were especially sweet for another Texas senior - Terri Turner. Gaining a measure of revenge, Turner captured the triple jump title and regained her American record she set in 1984, and lost on her home turf in Austin in 1985. Turner's performance was consistent as she had two jumps at her American-record distance of 44-9 ¾ and two more jumps at 44-9. Turner was also a member of the 4x100 meter relay team.
Much of the credit for the national title went to head coach Terry Crawford and her staff of John Millar, Sue Humphrey and Mike Sanders. They took over two years prior and immediately captured SWC indoor and outdoor championships. During their first two years in Austin, the Longhorns earned an NCAA Outdoor title and finished second twice indoors.
Going into the meet, Crawford decided not to double any of her distance people and it paid off. Sophomore Karol Davidson, one of three former Tennessee All-Americans that followed Crawford to Texas, was fourth in the 800. Junior Liz Natale, another ex-Volunteer, was second in the 3,000 and junior Anne Schweitzer, who had shown great improvement over the previous year, was fourth in the 5,000. Davidson and Natale set school records in their specialties at the meet.
Sophomore Mary Bolden, the third Tennessee transplant was eighth in the 100 and also ran the anchor leg of the 4x100 that rallied from fourth to third in the finals to deal a blow to USC's chances for a title. Junior Sandy Blakeslee set the school record in the 10,000 and became the first Longhorn to ever participate in that event at nationals, finishing eighth. Sophomore Mimi King finished fifth in the 400-meter hurdles and was a member of the 4x400 team.
Texas' win was a culmination of two years of 'being there' Being so close and losing made it hurt, but the title made up for the pain. It also added to the glory, capping off a spring in which the Longhorns captured national titles in women's basketball, women's swimming and diving and women's outdoor track and field.
