During her freshman year at Kingsborough Community College (KCC) in Brooklyn, Mariana Richards continued to build her skills in basketball, a sport relatively new to her. The Wave had a solid season, finishing 15-8 and winning its first two games in the NJCAA Region XV Tournament. Although she had played a bit recreationally, this was her first year in organized competitive hoops.
“Watching basketball with my brother, I gained a love for the sport,” said Richards. “He’s an inspiration to me and because he loved the sport, I ended up loving the sport as well.”
Richards then turned her attention to her first love — track — and showed she’s one of the strongest sprinters in NJCAA Division III. Earlier this month, she captured two national titles, winning the 100 and 200 meters and was named 2026 NJCAA DIII Outdoor Track & Field Women’s Track Athlete of the Year for the Northeast Region. Originally from Jamaica, West Indies, she had been involved in track since elementary school.
“Kingsborough track coach Dave Loobie got me into track here,” said Richards. “He saw me one day at practice and said given how fast I ran I should join the track team. In the beginning, I didn’t want to join the track team because I’ve been doing track all my life. I wanted to do something different. He got me back into it.”
Her love for track has returned. “It’s not an easy sport, but now I want to continue growing and improving,” she said. After completing her associate’s degree focused on business administration, Richards aspires to transfer to a four-year college and continue competing.
“My events are the 100, the 200 and the 400,” said Richards, who admires Usain Bolt, the only athlete to win the 100 and 200 meters in three consecutive Olympics. “It surprised me: I like the 200 over the 100. I don’t have a great 100 meter start, so the 200 gives me room to catch up. I want to continue to improve because my goal for next year is to get the record for Division III NJCAA.”
She plans to also continue playing basketball at KCC. “It’s not easy, but I’m dedicated to pushing myself to accomplish what I need to accomplish,” said Richards. “I believe in myself. I want to make sure I do my best to make my family proud.”
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