# 1939 NCAA track and field championships

The 1939 NCAA Track and Field Championships was the 18th NCAA track and field championship. The event was held at the University of Southern California's Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum in June 1939. The University of Southern California won its fifth consecutive team title.
The individual high scorers at the meet were William Watson of Michigan, who scored in three events, and double hurdles champion Fred Wolcott of Rice. Both finished with 20 points.
Additionally, the NCAA hosted the first ever separate cross country national championships during the 1938–39 season. The 1938 NCAA Men's Cross Country Championships were held in November 1938 in East Lansing, Michigan; Indiana won the team event and Greg Rice, from Notre Dame, won the individual event.

## Team scoring

| Rank | Team | Points |
| | Southern California | 86 |
| | Stanford | 44+1⁄2 |
| | Michigan | 31 |
| 4 | Washington State | 24 |
| 5 | Wisconsin | 22 |
| 6 | Rice Institute | 20 |
| 7 | Kansas State | 18 |
| 8 | Oregon | 16 |

## Track events

100-yard dash
1. Mozel Ellerbe, Tuskegee - 9.8 seconds 2. Clyde Jeffrey, Stanford 3. Willis, USC 4. Jordan, USC 5. Ledford, Washington State
120-yard high hurdles 1. Fred Wolcott, Rice - 14.2 seconds 2. Smith, Wisconsin 3. Corpening, North Carolina 4. Wright, Oklahoma A&M 5. Kinzle, Duke
6. Gatewood, Texas
220-yard dash
1. Clyde Jeffrey, Stanford - 21.1 seconds 2. Ledford, Washington State 3. Pettichord, Washington State 4. Jordan, USC 5. Ohl, Pitt
220-yard low hurdles
1. Fred Wolcott, Rice - 23 seconds 2. Earl Vickery, USC 3. Cochran, Indiana 4. Marshall, Butler 5. Hawkins, Stanford
440-yard dash
1. Erwin Miller, USC - 47.5 seconds 2. Watts, California 3. Simmons, Nebraska 4. Upton, USC 5. Breidenbach, Michigan
880-yard run
1. John Woodruff, Pitt - 1:51.3 2. Giddings, NYU 3. Dale, Washington State 4. Moore, Stanford 5. Storli, Oregon
One-mile run
1. Louis Zamperini, USC - 4:13.6
2. Walter Mehl, Wisconsin
3. John Munski, Missouri
4. Holderman, Purdue 5. Girard, Stanford
Two-mile run
1.Gregory Rice, Notre Dame - 9:02.6 (NCAA record) 2. Ralph Schwarzkopf, Michigan 3. Efaw, Oklahoma A&M 4. Dodds, Ashland 5. Garner, Washington State

## Field events

Broad jump
1. Judson Atchison, Texas - 24 feet 9+1⁄4 inches (7.550 m) 2. Billy Brown, LSU - 24 feet 8 inches (7.52 m) 3. Turner, UCLA - 24 feet 5+1⁄2 inches (7.455 m) 4. William Watson, Michigan - 24 feet 1⁄2 inch (7.328 m) 5. Manuel, California - 24 feet
High jump
1. Johnny Wilson, USC - 6 feet 6 inches (1.98 m) 2. Mallery, USC 2. Diefenthaler, Illinois 4. Burke, Marquette 4. Arrington, Michigan State 4. Lincoln, Stanford 4. Du Fresne, Oregon State
Pole vault
1. Ganslen, Columbia - 14 feet 5 inches (4.39 m) 2. Day, USC 2. Padway, Wisconsin 2. Varoff, Oregon
Discus throw
1. Pete Zagar, Stanford - 164 feet 1⁄4 inch (49.994 m) 2. William Watson, Michigan - 161 feet 9+3⁄4 inches (49.320 m) 3. Harris, Indiana 4. White, Tulane 5. Faymonville, Notre Dame
Javelin
1. Bob Peoples, USC - 220 feet 6+1⁄2 inches (67.221 m) 2. Boyd Brown, Oregon 3. DeGroot, USC 4. Vukmanic, Penn 5. Graham, Texas
Shot put
1. Elmer Hackney, Kansas State - 55 feet 10+3⁄8 inches (17.028 m) (NCAA and American record) 2. William Watson, Michigan - 54 feet 6+1⁄2 inches (16.624 m) 3. Lilburn Williams, Xavier New Orleans - 53 feet 11+3⁄4 inches (16.453 m) 4. Andersen, Stanford 5. Wohl, Stanford