Few sprinters are ever able to master the explosiveness required for the 60 meter dash and the endurance needed for the long and taxing 400 meters, but Texas sophomore Sanya Richards has been able to excel at the every tier of sprinting. Check the latest NCAA Division I indoor rankings and you'll find Sanya in the top five in the 60, 200, and, perhaps her best event, the 400-meter dash. And don't fail to notice the Longhorn 4x400 relay, which she anchors, ranked fourth in the country.
Richards attended high school at St. Thomas Acquinas, a challenging academic catholic school in south Florida. There she accumulated a room full of hardware–-including success at the U.S. championship level. If that doesn't impress you, then how about being chosen as the anchor leg on the US National 4x400 relay team in Italy with the likes of Jearl Miles-Clark. In the debut of Sports Illustrated on Campus, Richards made the cover and was dabbed as one of the top jocks by the new publication. She's now one of America's poster girls for track and field.
But now she has a new task at hand. After an impressive 7.21 in the 60, and a 22.86 at the Big 12 meet, she's looking to win three events in Fayetteville. The Longhorn soph will handle the open 200, 400, and the 4x400 meter relay. "I was disappointed about not winning the team title because that was our goal. I had a great meet overall, but I'm really looking forward to the National Championship," said Richards of the Big 12 meet. Richards is ahead of her pace from last year at this time. She was the runner-up at NCAA indoors in both the 200 and 400 last season, but she's looking to change that this March. "There are more girls running fast times this year, and I'm looking forward to running fast and winning." South Carolina's Lashinda Demus, HazelAnne Regis of LSU, and Tennessee's Dee Dee Trotter should all be in the mix for the 400 meter crown.
Richard's gumption for winning was generated by her strong supportive family – her dad was a professional soccer player in Jamacia and her mom is an athletic training nut. The result – they have aided in the production of one of the premier sprinters in the United States. But, now well over 1,000 miles separate her family in Pembroke Pines, Florida and Austin, Texas. Sanya is now being tested to see if she has the discipline to stay on task. Richards loves track and field, but isn't a social butterfly. She is quick to admit that she's just fine with lounging around the house, shopping, and or just heading to movies. Engaging in the appealing social scene of Austin's Sixth Street isn't high on her agenda. She's in MIS at UT, but academics aren't a big problem. Her high school prepared her for that.
St. Thomas Acquinas equipped her for the top notch program at Texas. Football might be huge in Texas, but track is a close second. Bev Kearney makes sure of that. The Longhorn facilities are top notch- and Sports Illustrated gave them the nod as the best all-around college sports program. Although young and highly successful, Sanya realizes she has a long way to be at top of her game. "I think when you're in college; you get stuck in the small world you're in. The preparation for the Olympics is on another level. I look at Gail Devers and Maria Mutola and think that I have a lot to learn. It's easy to get so absorbed into friends, but they (Devers and Mutola) pay attention to every moment and detail. They eat carefully. I learned from them to be more focused and fine tuned about being ready in track there," says Richards, who is just 19. Richards despite her instant success in track, realizes her best days are still ahead of her. "I've had a taste of it, but I want to be the best. I enjoy wining, and I enjoy track and field, but I want to get on top. My parents have helped me get this far. I just want to be the best I can be and keep doing what I'm doing here," concluded Sanya.
Although the NCAA Indoor and Outdoor Championships are extremely important goals for Sanya, the Olympics are her main objective. "That's the main goal from the beginning of the season. I'm running fewer races this season to (try to) peak at the US Trials. My training is definitely geared toward the Olympic Trials and making the Olympics games."
