GAINESVILLE, Fla. – Sanya Richards is the kind of track athlete that can put a college program on the map and in the hunt for a national title.

When Richards was coming out of Fort Lauderdale's St. Thomas Aquinas High a decade ago, everyone wanted her. Only Texas got her, and in 2005 Richards helped the Longhorns win the NCAA Outdoor national title.

Ebony Eutsey, the 2009 Gatorade Female Athlete of the Year at Miami Southridge High, and Lanie Whittaker, another highly touted prep standout at Miami's Booker T. Washington High, were prime targets for college recruiters in much the same way Richards was in 2002.

The Gators pursued Richards but struck out in their quest to keep the Olympic gold medalist at home in the Sunshine State. However, they hit a home run with Eutsey and Whittaker, both now members of the No. 3-ranked women's team in the country heading into this week's SEC Championships.