Random fact of day - Lee Emanuel was 25 when he won his 2nd NCAA title in 2010 - List of Oldest/Youngest NCAA Champs

New
  • LetsRun.com
    your benevolent dictator
    6 years ago 02/12/2014 3:41pm CST
    Forum Index
    We are working on tomorrow's homepage (which once again will be delivered for the amazing price of zero) and came across on Lee Emanuel's preparations for World Indoors. In it, it referred to him being 29 and we were like, "Is that possible? Didn't he just win a NCAA track and field title a few years ago?"

    We've looked it up. His DOB is 24 January 85 so when he won NCAAs in 2010 he was 25.

    We know many like to rip on BYU for having old guys, but how about we start a list of oldest and youngest NCAA champions? It seems BYU may deserve more sympathy than many thought.

    We'll start with Emanuel. Actually, we just realized today is Henry Rono's birthday and in realizing that we looked up how old he was in his prime. Rono was 26 when he set 4 world records in 1978 in the span of 81 days as a collegian:

    Oldest NCAA Champs we can think of off the top of our head (add in yours)

    1. Henry Rono (UTEP) - 26 and 3 months. 1978 NCAA steeple.
    2. Lee Emanuel (NM) 25 and 1 month. 2010 NCAA mile.
    3. Josh Rohatinsky (BYU) 24 and 8 months. 2006 NCAA XC.

    Youngest NCAA champs off the top of our head

    1. German Fernandez (Ok state) - German was just 18 and 7 months when he won the 1500 in 2009.

    Please help us out.
  • Sulemain
    6 years ago 02/12/2014 3:46pm CST
    re: LetsRun.com
    Forum Index
    Nyambui was 28 when he won his last NCAA outdoor titles in 1982

    DOB Feb. 13, 1953.
  • RoadRunner2015
    6 years ago 02/12/2014 3:49pm CST
    re: LetsRun.com
    Forum Index
    Edward Cheserek was 19 and 294 days old when he won the 2013 NCAA Cross Country Championship.
  • Sideshow Bobbers
    6 years ago 02/12/2014 3:51pm CST
    re: LetsRun.com
    Forum Index
    Rono ran for Washington State
  • george oscar bluth
    6 years ago 02/12/2014 4:01pm CST
    re: LetsRun.com
    Forum Index
    BK was 18 years, 3 months, and 3 days old when he won the NCAA XC title in 1988.
  • math doctor
    6 years ago 02/12/2014 4:13pm CST
    re: Sulemain
    Forum Index
    Sulemain wrote:

    Nyambui was 28 when he won his last NCAA outdoor titles in 1982

    DOB Feb. 13, 1953.

    Unless outdoors used to be in January, I believe that would have made him 29.
  • K5
    6 years ago 02/12/2014 4:31pm CST
    re: LetsRun.com
    Forum Index
    But he's white and this is letsrun so it is okay.

    Miles Batty won a title or two didn't he? And he had to be 25 or 26
  • Bigfeet_Bigmeat
    6 years ago 02/12/2014 6:27pm CST
    re: K5
    Forum Index
    my dad was 17 when he won the NCAA championship
  • as;d;jhgla;
    6 years ago 02/12/2014 10:21pm CST
    re: K5
    Forum Index
    K5 wrote:

    But he's white and this is letsrun so it is okay.

    Miles Batty won a title or two didn't he? And he had to be 25 or 26

    Batty was 23 when he won his 2 NCAA titles.
  • Once an Expert
    6 years ago 02/13/2014 12:28am CST
    re: as;d;jhgla;
    Forum Index
    Kirani James was 17 years nine months when he won outdoors in 2010.
  • Farmgirl
    6 years ago 02/13/2014 12:49am CST
    re: Once an Expert
    Forum Index
    Didn't Cheserek have a few grandkids already?
  • Kansas Comet
    6 years ago 02/13/2014 12:52am CST
    re: Farmgirl
    Forum Index
    Wasn't Ryun only 18 as a sophomore (freshmen weren't eligible) when he won his first NCAA?
  • Jimjamesrunner
    registered
    6 years ago 02/13/2014 10:14am CST
    re: LetsRun.com
    Forum Index
    Lawi, Sambu, Kithuka, Cheserek, all Africans, several foreigners, the BYU guys. I've expressed this in several threads before- different cultures view age differently, You can't impose "white middle class American" culture on everyone. Kenyans don't get out of high school over there until the age of 19 and their not coming directly over here out of high school. Why do you think you see so many Kenyans do great things in college and then fade out? It's because they were 26 or older at some point in college. Cheserek is not 19 or whatever. That's just what it says on his birth certificate here in the U.S. Don't get me wrong, I'm not knocking anyone's accomplishments, I'm simply bringing to the table that age is irrelevant and you need to stop caring so much. Americans caring so much about age limitations is what prevents them from succeeding to the highest level. Why do we not have even more fast runners? Because our culture tells us that if we haven't run a certain time by a certain age, we'll never break 4 minutes for the mile etc... If people would stop putting so much emphasis on age, I think you would see a transformation in the running culture of the U.S. So please stop worrying so much about age and just be concerned with running. This experiment is futile anyway. There's no way to do an accurate assessment.
  • Jimjamesrunner
    registered
    6 years ago 02/13/2014 10:16am CST
    re: jimjamesrunner
    Forum Index
    *they're
  • jimmy henson
    6 years ago 02/13/2014 10:18am CST
    re: jimjamesrunner
    Forum Index
    jimjamesrunner wrote:

    If people would stop putting so much emphasis on age, I think you would see a transformation in the running culture of the U.S.

    Ha! Right.
  • LI Runner
    6 years ago 02/13/2014 11:19am CST
    re: jimjamesrunner
    Forum Index
    Age shouldn't matter in the WC, Olympics, the summer circuit, invitaionals, etc. But when you compete in an association that HAS age limits, then it is an issue.

    If they have a 'different' time culture (does time work in another dimension on the African continent?) then they should not compete in our collegiate system.


    jimjamesrunner wrote:

    Lawi, Sambu, Kithuka, Cheserek, all Africans, several foreigners, the BYU guys. I've expressed this in several threads before- different cultures view age differently, You can't impose "white middle class American" culture on everyone. Kenyans don't get out of high school over there until the age of 19 and their not coming directly over here out of high school. Why do you think you see so many Kenyans do great things in college and then fade out? It's because they were 26 or older at some point in college. Cheserek is not 19 or whatever. That's just what it says on his birth certificate here in the U.S. Don't get me wrong, I'm not knocking anyone's accomplishments, I'm simply bringing to the table that age is irrelevant and you need to stop caring so much. Americans caring so much about age limitations is what prevents them from succeeding to the highest level. Why do we not have even more fast runners? Because our culture tells us that if we haven't run a certain time by a certain age, we'll never break 4 minutes for the mile etc... If people would stop putting so much emphasis on age, I think you would see a transformation in the running culture of the U.S. So please stop worrying so much about age and just be concerned with running. This experiment is futile anyway. There's no way to do an accurate assessment.
  • reed
    registered
    6 years ago 02/13/2014 12:28pm CST
    re: LI Runner
    Forum Index
    Being a top African NCAA runner doesn't make you automatically older than you claim to be.

    It's total crap and it's unfair to those runners.
  • Mr. Obvious
    registered
    6 years ago 02/13/2014 12:31pm CST
    re: LI Runner
    Forum Index
    LI Runner wrote:

    Age shouldn't matter in the WC, Olympics, the summer circuit, invitaionals, etc. But when you compete in an association that HAS age limits, then it is an issue.

    If they have a 'different' time culture (does time work in another dimension on the African continent?) then they should not compete in our collegiate system.


    The NCAA does not have age limits, you seem very misinformed.
  • deja vu
    6 years ago 02/13/2014 1:28pm CST
    re: LI Runner
    Forum Index
    NCAA age limits were discussed here:
    http://www.letsrun.com/forum/flat_read.php?thread=1000899

    If I understand correctly, the final word there appears to be the post of compliance chick, which essentially says that as long as you don't compete between your 21st birthday and when you enroll in college, you are not limited by your age. This rule effectively puts 26 as the oldest age you will tend to see, but in principle someone could only start competitively running at age 25 and be competing in D1 at the age of 30 (or ages 75 and 80, respectively, for that matter!).
  • Finding Zen
    6 years ago 02/13/2014 1:51pm CST
    re: deja vu
    Forum Index
    The funny thing is when Lee was 25 he wasn't even the oldest on the UNM team. They had a Kenyan that was at least 4 years older. Different cultures completely view age differently.