Alex M. Rivera Athletics Hall of Fame
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After three national runner-up efforts in prior years, the Eagles of North Carolina Central University won the NAIA (National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics) Outdoor Track & Field National Championship in Billings, Montana, on June 2, 1972.
The Eagles placed second in the national championship meet in 1964 and 1965 in Sioux Falls, S.D., and again in 1971 in Billings, Montana.
In 1972 (May 31-June 2), NCCU captured five event national championships and broke three meet records along the way.
Larry Black was chosen as the Outstanding Performer of the 1972 championship event as part of all three meet record-breaking performances. Black won an individual title in the 200-meter dash with a time of 20.0 seconds. He also teamed up with Charles Foster, Jeff Horsley and Julius Sang to win the 440-yard relay in 39.5 seconds, and joined Melvin Bassett, Robert Ouko and Sang to claim the mile relay national title with a time of 3:04.8.
The other two individual national championships won by NCCU in 1972 were by Bassett in the 400m hurdles (50.5) and Ouko in the 800m run (1:48.5).
NCCU head track & field coach Dr. LeRoy T. Walker was selected as the 1972 NAIA Outdoor Track & Field Coach of the Year.
VIDEO of NCCU's Robert Ouko in 1972 Olympics - 800m Final:
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