The 2003 USA and NCAA women's 400m champion, Sanya Richards, has decided to turn pro and leave behind her final two years of collegiate eligibility at the University of Texas, she announced Wednesday. Richards decided to leave after completing her sophomore year at Texas to concentrate on making this year's Olympic team. She plans to continue to attend classes and train in Austin with Texas coach Bev Kearney before the 2004 U.S. Olympic Trials begin July 9 in Sacramento.

Richards was named the Verizon Youth Athlete of the Year in 2002 and has had an amazing career at Texas, where she won five NCAA titles in two years. This past season Richards improved on her own records. She ran faster than any junior athlete (19- and-under) in history indoors when she ran 50.82 to win her first individual NCAA indoor crown in March, while also anchoring UT's 4x400m relay to gold for the second straight season and finishing runner-up in the 200 meters. During the 2004 outdoor campaign, Richards anchored Texas' 4x400m relay to a collegiate-record 3:23.75, which broke the previous standard by nearly three seconds. She broke her own U.S. Junior 400- meter record on May 29 with a personal-best 50.49 at the NCAA Midwest Regional in College Station, Texas.

For a bio of Sanya Richards, visit the Athlete Bios section of www.usatf.org