June 6, 2008

Monday morning at 10 o'clock was the deadline for Long Beach State track and field coach Andy Sythe to forward his program's "declarations to enter" next week's NCAA Championship Meet at Drake University of Des Moines, Iowa.

On that list was Chris Richardson, who earned a spot in the open javelin competition, based upon his third-place finish, with a lifetime best of 224 feet and seven inches, in the NCAA's West Regional Meet at Cal State Northridge this past weekend.

But Richardson will skip the open javelin in order to compete for the championship in the decathlon competition.

Richardson finished third in the decathlon in the 2006 NCAA meet before redshirting last season in order to work out in the 10-event competition without the added pressure off competing in meets for the 49ers.

With knees that have troubled him all spring and assorted other aches and pains that limited him to just one full decathlon competition this season - during the Big West Conference Meet three weeks ago - Richardson considered skipping the decathlon at the NCAA Meet this time around in order to rest and prepare for the U.S. Olympic Trials in Eugene, Oregon, at the end of this month.

Sunday, after a brisk workout under the guidance of LBSU multi-event (decathlon and heptathlon) coach Dave Rodda, Richardson decided he was going to try to prove the Track and Field news editors prophets. A couple of months ago the sport's "Bible" projected him to win the 2008 NCAA decathlon championship.

"It was a very intense workout (Sunday)," Richardson said.

"I was kind of using it as a litmus test. It was a good indication of where I am, fitness- and strength-wise. If I had not been able to handle the workout, I don't think I could have handled doing two decathlons within a couple of weeks."

The more he thought about the impending decision, "the more I realized an NCAA championship is one of the things I want to accomplish here (at LBSU). It's a major pinnacle for a track and field athlete."

Earning a spot on the U.S. Olympic team a few weeks later "would be icing on the cake," he said.

Sythe said Monday that he is "glad Chris is comfortable with his decision. And we're obviously excited about it, too."