Richards Leads the Way for Cougars Track at Meet of Champions

The annual Meet of Champions is supposed to be a showcase of all the top talents in the state, but it ended up being a bit of a coming out party for Columbia junior Kayann Richards. The Cougar hurdler and sprinter led the way for The Red and Black girls with two MOC medals, including Columbia's first individual championship since 1998.

"When she started here, she was my freshman," said Columbia head coach Lisa Morgan. "I watched her grow, I knew her talent, I knew what she was capable of."

Richards became one of 14 girls in state history to clear the 100-meter hurdles in under 14 seconds, coming in at 13.91, edging out Nottingham's Stephanie Hicks. Despite being seeded first overall and being the odds on favorite to win, Richards said that she wasn't taking anything for granted.

"During indoor season, I thought I was a shoe-in to win and came in fifth or sixth place," Richards said. "So I wasn't doubting anyone because you never know what could happen."

Richards had the fastest qualifying time in the meet, going at 14.02, and then took it to the next level in the championship race. In capturing her first ever individual Meet of Champions title, Richards remained unbeaten this year in the 100-meter hurdles.

"I'm way happy. I'm more than happy," an elated Richards said minutes after the race. "My start [was key]. I wanted to make sure I was leading the race through the first two hurdles, because I have so much speed in between the hurdles that I knew if I was ahead no one was going to be able to catch me."

While Richards, who also placed fourth in the 400, was the only individual champion for Columbia, the girls did have two other wins in the relays.

Naturally, the vaunted 4x400 team, which has not lost a race to a team in the state this season, dominated the field. The group of Brittney Jackson, Kelsey Jackson, TyVonna Johnson (who also finished fifth in the 800) and Richards set a new meet record and came within slightly more than a second of setting a new overall state record. Their time of 4:42.54 broke a 29-year-old record set by Plainfield. By the time Richards finished off the race, the nearest opponent was so far behind you could've fit an 18-wheeler in between and still had room to spare.

With the school and meet record set for the Cougar quartet, they will shift their sights to setting a new state record in their final two meets at nationals and at an upcoming meet sponsored by Adidas.

In the 4x100 relay, the group of Kelsey Jackson, Jasmine Carter, Amber Ballew and Whitney Jackson paced the field, coming in at 46.87, more than a second better than second place South Brunswick. Both Carter and Ballew went on to place in other events, with Carter taking fourth overall in the 100-meter dash (11.89) and Ballew fourth in the long jump (18 feet 2.5 inches).

In the 800, Brittney Jackson battled from behind in the final 200 meters to claim second place behind sophomore Ajee Wilson of Neptune. Jackson came in at 2:08.17, and despite wanting to win an MOC crown for the first time in her career, Jackson admitted she couldn't be upset with running a personal best and finishing second in the fastest 800 field in meet history, with 10 girls coming in under 2:10.

"I'm excited. My goal for this meet was to leave my name on the track," Jackson said. "I wanted a victory, but I can't ask for anything more. I can't get greedy. I'm just happy that I ran my personal best."

"I was pleased but we have some work to do," Morgan said of Jackson. "She has so much more to give. In race strategy, she wasn't as patient as I would've liked her to be."

Jackson did not get off to the greatest start of the day, falling over a hurdle in the 400 hurdles, and subsequently not being able to finish the race, one in which she was the second overall seed.

The only Columbia boy to place in the top eight was senior runner D.J. Roberts, who came from a number 15 overall seed to claim sixth place in the state in the 400. Roberts did not run in the lead heat, but in the second fastest heat. After winning his group, his time was good enough for sixth best overall.

"I was very pleased with they way D.J. ran," Morgan said. "He was that sleeper. Nobody really knows about him."

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