Brandon Richards
Personal information
Full nameBrandon Richards
Nationality United States
Born (1967-02-06) February 6, 1967
Sport
SportTrack and Field
EventPole Vault
Medal record
Men's Track and Field
Representing  United States
Pan American Junior Athletics Championships
Silver medal – second place 1984 Nassau Pole Vault

Brandon Richards (born February 6, 1967) is an American Track and Field athlete. He was the national high school record holder in the pole vault and a son of double Olympic Gold Medalist in the pole vault, Bob Richards.[1][2] He is the third of four of Richards' sons who all excelled at the pole vault—Bob Jr. finished second in 1968 and Tom won the CIF California State Meet in the pole vault.[3]

Richards began vaulting at age five[4] and by age 18, he vaulted 18 ft 2 in (5.54 m), which stood as the highest pole vault for a high schooler for 14 years.[5][6] The record still stands as third best jump for a high schooler[7] and the best ever by a Californian.[8] Richards also set the Indoor record in the pole vault at 17 ft 6 in (5.33 m),[9][10] which only lasted a year before Pat Manson marginally improved upon it, but it still ranks as the second best ever.[11]

Richards' high school record jump was set at an All-comers track meet in Eugene, Oregon, not in high school competition.[12] He chose not to compete for his San Marcos High School[13] team during his senior year.[4][14] As a junior, Richards was the Texas state champion at Midway High School.[15][16]

Richards' set his personal record five years later at 18 ft 4.5 in (5.601 m). That mark is the Richards family record, but not in contention with the 19-foot vaulters in the Olympics. He ranks number 260 on the all-time list.[17] Richards attended the University of California, Los Angeles,[18][19] where he is ranked as the #10 vaulter in school history.[20]

References

  1. ↑ "Faces In The Crowd". Archived from the original on July 17, 2012.
  2. ↑ "USATF - Hall of Fame". usatf.org. Retrieved July 16, 2016.
  3. ↑ "California State Meet Results - 1915 to present". Hank Lawson. Archived from the original on October 6, 2014. Retrieved December 25, 2012.
  4. 1 2 http://articles.chicagotribune.com/1985-06-17/sports/8502080638_1_brandon-richards-pole-vault-meet/2 Chicago Tribune June 17, 1985
  5. ↑ "Texas". Archived from the original on April 27, 2009. Retrieved September 19, 2010.
  6. ↑ "Eshbach shatters vault mark - Lubbock Online - Lubbock Avalanche-Journal". lubbockonline.com. Retrieved July 16, 2016.
  7. ↑ http://www.trackandfieldnews.com/lists/all_time/prepout_at_m.html Archived 2013-02-17 at the Wayback Machine Track and Field News
  8. ↑ "All-Time Lists". espn.go.com. April 13, 2012. Retrieved July 16, 2016.
  9. ↑ https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1320&dat=19850318&id=2aMRAAAAIBAJ&sjid=lekDAAAAIBAJ&pg=5360,1012616 Gainesville Sun, March 18, 1985, P.33
  10. ↑ "SPORTS NEWS BRIEFS; Richards Vaults To Record 17-6". The New York Times. March 18, 1985.
  11. ↑ "High School Pole Vault Records". Pole Vault Power.
  12. ↑ https://articles.latimes.com/1985-07-12/sports/sp-8974_1_pole-vault LA Times July 12, 1985
  13. ↑ "John Uelses". independent.com. March 7, 2012. Retrieved July 16, 2016.
  14. ↑ "The Rev. Bob Richards Won Two Olympic Golds: Now His Vaulting Ambition Is for Son Brandon : People.com". people.com. Retrieved July 16, 2016.
  15. ↑ https://articles.latimes.com/1985-05-17/sports/sp-8962_1_brandon-richards LA Times May 17, 1985
  16. ↑ "UIL Boys Track & Field State Champions". uil100.org. Archived from the original on September 5, 2012. Retrieved July 16, 2016.
  17. ↑ http://hem.bredband.net/athletics/atb-m26.htm Al Time List
  18. ↑ "Brandon Richards Signs With UCLA". Los Angeles Times. April 17, 1985.
  19. ↑ "Brandon Richards Pictures - Getty Images". gettyimages.com. Retrieved July 16, 2016.
  20. ↑ http://grfx.cstv.com/photos/schools/ucla/sports/m-track/auto_pdf/m-alltime-top10.pdf Archived November 12, 2012, at the Wayback Machine
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