May 12, 2006

Fayetteville, Ark. – One is from up the road in Greenville, S.C., sophomore Amberly Nesbitt. The other is from Cedar Hill, Texas – about 16 hours away – sophomore Jason Richardson. They are excellent students who will compete in two individual events this weekend -one in the sprints and one hurdles plus a relay – one in the 4×1 and one in the 4×4. Both are Gamecocks now and psyched to compete at the SEC Outdoor Championships this year.

Nesbitt, a Biology major with a 3.7 GPA, has been on the Dean’s List three semesters. Richardson, a Sport and Entertainment major who is a member of the Honor’s College, sports a 3.8 GPA and has been a member of the President’s List once (4.0) and the Dean’s List twice. Nesbitt is a three-time All-American on the track to Richardson’s two All-American honors.

USCsports.com sat down with both to talk about SECs, races they prefer and which way they would go after college.

USC: What’s your favorite part of the SEC Championships?

Richardson: You race against national competition with a smaller amount of teams. NCAAs are bigger, but the quality of competition here is so strong. You know you have to bring it. It’s pre-nationals. At the NCAA Championships, it was 1-4 SEC in the 110m hurdles last year. That’s big.

Nesbitt: It’s all SEC at nationals, except Texas and Pac-10. The competition is tough here.

USC: What’s your pre-meet routine, any rituals? Music?

Richardson: I don’t have any. No lucky shorts. Nothing. My I-Pod is broken so I won’t have any music. I get annoyed when people borrow mine so I won’t borrow anybodies. When you need it, they need it.

Nesbitt: I just pray a lot. Sometimes I listen to gospel music before I run. I like Byron Cage, Kurt Carr. I know Shalonda listens to it, too. We (her and Shalonda) don’t talk about the races at all. We don’t room together – the coaches don’t like to put the same event people together. You have to compete on the track and people say you don’t compete in practice, but there is still some kind of comparison.

USC: What are your goals this weekend at the SEC Outdoor Championships?

Richardson: My goal this weekend is to attempt the hurdle double and perform well on the 4x400m relay. The hurdle double is winning the 110m hurdles and the 400m hurdles. I am not sure it’s been done in the SEC or at the NCAA. The fastest combo hurdler in history was Andre Phillips; he maybe ran a 13.2 in the 110m hurdles and 47-low in the 400m hurdles, but he didn’t do it in the same year. It hasn’t been done maybe since the 1700s when there were four or five teams competing at the NCAA level.

Nesbitt: Honestly it’s kind of weird, I have gone in with a clear head. I have been hurt a bit outdoors, so if I execute my race my times will come. I won’t worry about the times as much, just execute and if I execute the places will come with the times. I am running the 100m, 200m and 4×100 relay.

USC: You are both running two different individual events – any preference?

Richardson: My preference is the short hurdles because injury has restricted my ability to concentrate on both. But in the subsequent years I am at USC, people need to be ready for the hurdle double.

Nesbitt: The 100 meter because I am feel more prepared. I preferred the 200m in high school. One of the strongest parts of my race is the blocks – my start.

USC: Which relay do you prefer – the 4x100m relay or the 4x400m relay?

Richardson: I have run the 4×1 a few times, but I am not fast enough. The 4×4 is a special kind of race. It’s painful and it’s long, but there is little glory. There are so many emotions that go with the 4×4 so I enjoy it. It’s so exciting when Jon (Fortenberry) runs someone down or anyone fast takes the stick down and runs past the leaders. I love the whoops that come with the 4×4 (cheering). They make it exciting and difficult to run the anchor. It was especially difficult running at Penn Relays in front of 50,000 people.

Nesbitt: I prefer the 4×1. In high school I liked the 4×4 better. I have never run the 4×4 in college so I can only say the 4×1 in college.

USC: Congratulations, you are both excellent students. What is your major and what are your plans after college?

Richardson: I am a Sport and Entertainment major. I want to go to law school and get an MBA at the same time. I am looking at going to Harvard University and University of Pennsylvania.

Nesbitt: I am Biology major and I am going to go to med school. I want to be an Orthopedics doctor. I would like to work with children born with developmental issues. I want to have an office where they could also get physical therapy done as well. I would love to go to Duke Medical School. You are only in the classroom for a year and it’s most accelerated program.

USC: If you could compete in another sport as a collegiate, what would it be?

Richardson: I would play soccer. I played soccer growing up for about 10 years. I played left forward. I scored goals all the time when I was young. Soccer’s great when you are young because you just run around and there was no organization.

Nesbitt: I would be a soccer player, too. I started running track when I was five and soccer when I was eight. I had to make a decision in high school and I chose track. My favorite soccer player is Mia Hamm.

USC: Who is your personal hero?

Richardson: I don’t really have hero’s. Of course Jesus Christ is obvious but as far as humans, I don’t grasp that concept. Personality-wise, I am not into having a hero. I lost hero’s when I was about 12. I look up to a lot of people. Athletically, Allen Johnson, Terrence Trammell, Bershawn Jackson. Personally, I look up to Shalonda Solomon for her faith. I think Jamil (James) humor. Kerri Groover’s personality as a whole. She is the most down to earth person that has ever walked the face of the earth. Chelsea (Hammond) and KeKe (Clarke) are there for you when you need them.

Nesbitt: I don’t have a hero. I admire my mom. Her faith and how strong she is. She is a praying woman. She is my best friend.

USC: What is your nickname?

Richardson: J-Rich. It started in high school and it will be my famous name. When I try to do the ‘Skeets’ Renaldo Nehemiah thing, I want a nickname like that.

Nesbitt: I had one in high school, but not in college. My high school coach (George Moss) called me ‘Tadpole’. I guess they call me ‘Little Bit’ at USC.

USC: Anything else you’d like to add?

Richardson: I wish everyone good luck. To anyone not on the team reading this, thank you for your support. That means more sometimes than a win. We like to get mail telling us congratulations. Knowing that your success affects you personally, but that there is someone else out there supporting you is really nice. Yeah, that’s good.

Nesbitt: I would tell everyone to stay encouraged through every round. Keep competing. Go Gamecocks!