LITTLE ROCK, Ark. – Barry Richards signed his National Letter of Intent to join the Little Rock Trojans program on April 9. Less than a month later, he became the fastest hurdler in the nation, a state champion and set a new high school state record.
That's because Richards ran a blistering 13.31 to win the Texas state high school boys' championship in the 110m hurdles on Saturday, May 8 in Austin, Texas. That set a new Texas state record in the hurdles in all conditions.
His time not only claimed gold but also posted the nation's fastest time in the high hurdles by 0.16 seconds, a large margin in such a fast race. And his gold medal finish is not surprising as he won every single high hurdles race he ran this season.
"I am very excited about what Barry can bring to Little Rock," Trojans Director of Track & Field
J.P. Behnke said of his signee. "Obviously he is extremely talented but more importantly his character and work ethic make him a great fit in our program."
Richards' win also helped propel his team, Summer Creek High School, to a team state championship in the Texas' 6A Boys' competition.
While there are some differences in high school and collegiate competition, a time of 13.31 would rank fourth in the nation among collegiate competitors this year. Damion Thomas (LSU) leads the nation with a time of 13.22 while Louisiana's Yves Cherubin leads the Sun Belt Conference in the hurdles with a time of 13.82.
Richards is set to join the Trojans program in the fall after inking with Little Rock in April.
Little Rock heads to the Sun Belt Outdoor Track and Field Championships this week in Mobile, Alabama. The three-day championship meet begins Thursday.
For the latest information on Little Rock Track & Field, make sure to check out
LRTrojans.com. You can also find the team on social media at @LittleRockTFXC on
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