Richardson sets national indoor triple-jump record

	Ke'Nyia Richardson will leave her footprints on the track and in the record books when she heads to UCLA next fall. Shannon Dunne

Each week SI.com will select the athlete who displays excellence on and off the field as the Primetime Performer.

Ke'Nyia Richardson, Sr., Holy Names (Oakland, Calif.)

Several national records have been set during the 2007 indoor track season, but none more outstanding than the 44-feet, 6.75-inch triple jump by Holy Names (Oakland, Calif.) senior Ke'Nyia Richardson during the National Scholastic Championships at the Armory in New York City last week.

"When we first heard about it, our jaws dropped," says national track expert Rich Gonzalez. "It was an incredible mark and people were pretty awe struck. She already was in the elite status, but this kind of mark holds well in college."

The previous record -- set in 1991 -- was 43-11.5 by Juliana Yendork of Walnut, Calif.

Prior to the meet, Richardson's club coach, Curtis Taylor, told the UCLA signee, "This is your last high school meet indoors. If you want to get some records and make history, you've got to do it here. She already had broken the Armory record with 43-5.75. She broke [the national record] on her sixth and final jump."

"I never expect to get records," says Richardson. "I try not to think that I have to get a record, because it throws everything off. When the level of competition is high, I tend to do better. I led all the way. It has been happening that way [her last jump is her best]. When I'm most focused is the time when I put everything together."

The fact that she also competed in the 100-meter hurdles and finished fourth makes her feat even more impressive. "The hurdles came after the triple jump and I was kind of flat for it," Richardson says. "It kind of messes with you a little bit [to participate in two events]. It's kind of hard rushing back and forth at meets."

Richardson began competing in track at age 10, but really took it up seriously as a freshman at Holy Names. "I was confident but not sure of what I was capable of," she says. "My only goal was to hit 34 feet."

That's when Richardson came under the tutelage of Taylor, who coaches the East Oakland Youth Development Center Track Club. Both Richardson and her coach were pleasantly surprised when she reached 38 feet in the triple jump during the North Coast Section championships. "I didn't think I'd improve that fast," she says.

Richardson, who has not lost to a high school triple jumper in almost two years, made the USA Junior National Team last summer by capturing the USATF junior title in Indianapolis with a 42-3 effort -- into the wind. She defeated several top-flight collegians.

After the first five jumps, she still held the lead, but three women passed her on their final jumps. Enhancing her reputation as a brilliant "last-jump jumper," Richardson surpassed her previous best by 8.5 inches on her final attempt to seal the victory and a trip to Beijing, China. She placed 12th in Beijing with a 42-6.50 effort.

Richardson's big goal this spring is to break the national outdoor record of 44-11 held by Brittany Daniels of Merrill West (Tracy, Calif.). Daniels is the last high school triple jumper to beat her.

"She definitely has a shot," Taylor says, "but I am going with a low-pressure approach. If she is able to reach all her goals in training and execution, the record will come."