Teenager Richards breaks own record

By BOB BAUM
AP Sports Writer

SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) Texas freshman sensation Sanya Richards broke her own world junior record in winning the NCAA 400-meter championship Saturday.

The 18-year-old sprinter, wearing a ``Don't mess with Texas'' T-shirt after her race, knows bigger things are to come. If nothing unexpected happens, Richards could be the next great U.S. woman at a distance that is known as the toughest of all the sprints, one that Marion Jones said she hates to run because it's so difficult to hold form down the final 50 meters.

``I'm telling you, I think it's 100-percent mental,'' Richards said after she fought to keep from tightening up down the stretch. ``I was just telling myself to relax, because everybody is tightening up in the last part.''

Richards won in 50.58 seconds. Dee Dee Trotter of Tennessee was second, just edging Nadia Davy of LSU. Both Trotter and Davy were clocked at 50.66.

``I just said relax, relax, relax and leaned it in,'' Richards said.

Two-time defending champion Allison Beckford of Rice was with the leaders until she fell at the finish and had to be carried from the track. She finished fourth at 51.01.

Richards set the American junior record of 50.63 last year and holds the world junior indoor record at 51.87.

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^BROWNE OUT:@ Pierre Browne running career at Mississippi State came to an inglorious end when he refused to run in the 200 meters.

``He didn't want to run and the coach didn't feel like talking him into it,'' sports information assistant Koby Padgett said. ``He's a senior. He's gone.''

Browne, the NCAA indoor 60-meter champion, came into the meet as a favorite in the 100 and 200. He was second to Mardy Scales of Tennessee State in the 100 final Friday in 10.34 seconds.

Mississippi State's other sprint star, junior Marquis Davis, was bothered by a sore hamstring all week and was eliminated from the 100 finals for a false start.

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^OVERCOMING A BREAK:@ Lillian Bush didn't let a broken bone in her right wrist keep her out of the NCAA heptathlon competition.

The Stanford junior was injured in a bicycle wreck on campus last week, but still made it through the seven-event competition Friday and Saturday, finishing 10th and earning All-America honors.

She even managed a personal best in the javelin at 116 feet, 3 inches, even though rules didn't allow her to wear a supportive cast.

``I'm an All-American with a broken wrist,'' she said. ``I'm so happy.''

^IRISH LAD:@ Alistair Cragg was born and raised in South Africa but is competing internationally for Ireland.

The Arkansas distance-running great has dual citizenship because his grandparents Irish, and under Ireland's law he is eligible for a passport. His parents have since moved from South Africa to England.

``I don't want to put down South Africa but I get more help from Ireland,'' Cragg said.

He said he wasn't even sure he would be able to continue to run after his college career ends next year until he made the Ireland connection and was assured he would be supported.

Besides, his Arkansas coach is one of the sport's most noted Irishmen, John McDonnell.

The political turmoil in South Africa had discouraged Cragg from competing for his native country. In an interview early this year with the Morning News of Northwest Arkansas, Cragg said that his parents obtained an Irish passport for him when he was 5 because of the unrest in South Africa.

Cragg finished eighth for Ireland in the European cross country championships in February.

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^NAKED TRUTH:@ Dawid Jaworski of Southern California, the winner in the men's high jump, has the odd habit of taking a piece of clothing or jewelry off as he clears new heights.

This included a watch and the necklace his mother gave him, both removed as he won at 7 feet, 5} inches.

The Polish jumper said his friends give him a hard time about his superstitions.

``If I ever clear eight feet, I'll probably be naked,'' he said.

(Copyright 2003 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)