Competing in the Orange Winter Classic in Clermont, Florida on Friday, the 2017 World Championships gold and bronze medallist raced in the menÕs 60 metres event.

In the preliminary race, Richards lined up against fellow Adidas teammates such as Noah and Josephus Lyles, Maicel Uibo and Jaylen Bacon. He ran a time of 6.73 seconds to qualify in sixth place. Jeremy Bascome of CPTC-Tracksmith qualified with the fastest time of 6.66 while Noah Lyles was second with the same time.

In the final, Richards clocked 6.73 in his fourth-place finish. Kevaun Rattray of CPTC-Tracksmith won the race in a time of 6.61 while Bascome came second in 6.67. Bacon was third in 6.69.

Richards is continuing preparations in Clermont at his new camp with an eye on the Olympics which begins on July 23rd in Tokyo, Japan.

T&T athletes had standout performances on the US Collegiate circuit on the weekend with multi-sport athlete Tyra Gittens and field specialist Cherisse Murray winning gold medals.

Gittens cleared 1.87 metres on her final attempt to win gold in the womenÕs high jump event at the Aggie Invitational at Gilliam Indoor Track Stadium in College Station, Texas on Saturday.

The Texas A&M senior now has sole possession of the high jump school record, breaking the mark she shared with Caroline Wolf (2006) by a quarter of an inch, and now have the second-highest clearance in the NCAA this season.

Gittens, the womenÕs top scorer at last yearÕs SEC indoor meet, also clocked a personal best in the 60m hurdles at 8.34, which is 12th best all-time.

This performance followed up, the national athleteÕs impressive season-opener where she sealed double gold in the high jump and the long jump events in the Ted Nelson Invitational at the same venue.

Then, she set the Aggie school record in the long jump landing at 6.62m on her first attempt. The mark is currently ranked No 2 in the world. Gittens now holds school records in the indoor long jump, high jump and pentathlon.

She dominated the high jump event claiming her second title with a clearance of 1.83m. Gittens passed on the first three opening heights and cleared the next four on her first attempts but was unable to clear 1.86m.

Gittens is among a group of Aggies who already have set marks that qualify for the NCAA indoor meet at Arkansas in March.

Murray

Murray, a senior at the University of Alabama, reached the top of the podium in the womenÕs shot put with her best attempt, measuring 16.24m at the Carolina Challenge at the South Carolina Indoor Track and Field Complex in Columbia.

She got the gold on her second throw after opening with a 15.44m-mark. She also had marks of 16.08m and 15.36, respectively before fouling her last two throws.

In her season-opener the previous weekend, Murray placed second in the event with a 16.12m-toss at the Vanderbilt Invitational in Nashville, Tennessee.

Another T&T upperclassman shining on the weekend was Dwight St Hillaire. On Friday, the University of Kentucky (UK) senior, bagged a bronze in the menÕs 400m at the Wooo Pig Classic held at the Arkansas-Randall Tyson Track in Fayetteville.

St Hillaire clocked 46.78 seconds to cross the line in second spot in section four in the timed final to place third overall.

Later, he and his UK teammates ran a seasonÕs best 3:08.18, to cop silver. St Hillaire ran the second leg. The effort of the T&T quartermiler helped his Kentucky menÕs track and field team finish third in the team standings.

Kentucky returns to competition February 5-6 at the South Carolina Invitational.