Post Classifieds
Former hurdler Harris to be inducted into Hall of Fame
By Aaron Garland
On October 17, 2012
Richard Harris spent just one season on the Buffalo State track and field team, but he made sure it was a
lasting one.
The former hurdler will be inducted into the Buffalo State Athletics Hall of Fame later this month for his
outstanding accomplishments during the 2005 season.
"I was emotional because it's a great honor," Harris said of his enshrinement. "I hope my kids go to Buff
State and can see that - to be enshrined forever, to forever be a part of Buff State - it means a lot to
me."
Harris attended Alfred State after high school, where he competed on the track and field team and
graduated after two years. He then enrolled at Roberts Wesleyan on scholarship, but lasted just a year
there because the coach that recruited Harris was fired before the season started.
Harris' time at both schools was largely successful. He was an All-American each year, and still holds
records at the two schools.
Buffalo State is third on the list of colleges he achieved All-America status and holds records at. He also
became the first Bengal to achieve All-America in both the indoor and outdoor season.
"It's interesting," Harris said of holding at least one hurdling record at three schools. "When I look
at those records, I just look at what it took to get those records, and I just see hard work and doing
something that I love. And if records came, 'cool,' but at the end of the day, if I left it all on the track,
that's what I'm most happy about."
After his one year at Roberts Wesleyan, Harris took a year off of school to work full-time, but soon
realized that lifestyle did not appeal to him.
"I wanted to finish my degree and have a career as opposed to a job, so I was truly more focused when I
came back to school," Harris said.
Buffalo State was the school Harris decided to attend thereafter. It was a decision guided mostly by
academics, though current track and field coach Eugene Lewis did lead a recruiting effort for the All-
American.
Harris credits his former coach with getting his head prepared to compete at the highest level while at
Buffalo State.
"I respect (Lewis') honesty," Harris said. "(Lewis) said, 'you're coming in with more hurdle experience
than I know, so I can't necessarily make you a better hurdler, but I can get you mentally strong and I can
get you physically strong.'
"And at that point I was such a student of my event that clearly, that's what I needed - that strength
program, and just mental aspect of being focused."
Lewis was aware of Harris' accolades in the previous few years, so he saw high-potential in him as a
Bengal.
"I knew if he stayed healthy he would be, definitely, one of the top hurdlers in the country," Lewis
said. "After we competed in indoors, and it was clear that he was definitely the best (hurdler) on
the east coast, that's when I think Richard and I began to believe that a national championship was
possible."
Harris indeed won a national championship during the outdoor season, becoming the school's first
NCAA champion in 20 years.
He is also the Buffalo State record-holder in the 55-meter hurdles (7.49) and 110-meter hurdles (14.12).
Competing for just the one year, Lewis finds Harris' accomplishments to be all the more impressive, and
they proved to give the program high regards.
"I think the last national champion we had here at Buffalo State track and field was in '85 or '86, so that
was a long time coming. He kind of revitalized the track and field program," Lewis said.
Talent aside, the characteristic that aided Harris to success was his relentless work ethic.
"With Ricky, he certainly had the talent, but he was really a perfectionist with his technique and his craft
so to speak," said Jon Poag, former teammate at Roberts Wesleyan. "He would really train as hard as he
could, and really try to perfect his craft.
"So I would just say his willingness to put the time in, his willingness to train, is what allowed his natural
talent to become so clear."
A 2007 Buffalo State graduate with a Bachelor of Science in Career and Technical Education and Master
of Science in Education with a concentration in Career and Technical Education, Harris is now the
Coordinator of Service and Community Building at SUNY Brockport.
After his last year of track-eligibility, Harris made the decision to attend graduate school at Buffalo State.
During that time, he also made a selfless effort to give gratitude back to the program that appreciated
his time there.
"I wanted to go to grad school at Buff State, and (join) on the assistant coaching staff to help out our
new recruits and other hurdlers, and give back to the program that gave me so much."
Harris will be honored, along with four other alumni, at the Athletics Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony
Oct. 27. Tickets are $20 and can be purchased by calling (716) 878-6514.
Aaron Garland can be reached by email at garland.record@live.com.
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