Richards appears prepared to challenge for the NEC long jump title. The sophomore turned in a personal best to finish fifth, behind a quartet of Southeastern Conference long jumpers, in the talent-rich championship division of the New Balance Collegiate Invitational. Richards’ top leap of 7.53m (24’ 8.5”) makes him the NEC leader by more than one foot heading into this weekend’s two-day championship meet. Richards’ seed mark is also 15 centimeters better than the 7.38m that LIU’s Corryl Boyd long-jumped to win last year’s NEC crown.