Sha’Carri Richardson comes home for unveiling of special honor at Dallas ISD track The district recognized the former Carter track star even before the 2024 Paris Olympics, where

Sha’Carri Richardson, Olympian and former Carter track star, center, takes a photo with Carter’s cheerleaders during halftime of a high school football game between Carter and Wilmer- Hutchins at John Kincaide Stadium on Friday, Sept. 20, 2024, in Dallas. (Chitose Suzuki / Staff Photographer)

At least in the Dallas area, it has typically taken decades before significant sports figures have venues named after them.

Highland Park named its football field after legendary coach Randy Allen on Friday night, 25 years after he started leading the Scots. More than 30 years into his coaching career, Duncanville ISD recently honored football trailblazer Reginald Samples by naming the field at Panther Stadium after him.

Dallas ISD bucked convention last November when it announced the track at John Kincaide Stadium would be named for sprinting phenom and former Carter track star Sha’Carri Richardson, who was only 23 years old at the time, but also the fastest woman in the world.

Dallas ISD unveils the official Sha’Carri Richardson track signage with special guest Sha’Carri Richardson! Richardson, a Carter track alum, won two medals at the 2024 Paris Olympics. DISD named the track at Kincaide Stadium after her last year. @SportsDayHS @dallasschools pic.twitter.com/5BhfXUDcrK Myah Taylor (@t_myah) September 21, 2024High School Sports The latest news, analysis, predictions and more for each season.

On Friday night at Kincaide, when Dallas ISD officially unveiled the stadium’s Sha’Carri Richardson track signage during a football game between Carter and Wilmer-Hutchins, Richardson returned to her home track as a two-time Olympic medalist. Her performance at this year’s Paris Games, where she won a gold medal in the 4×100 relay and a silver in the 100 meters, was redemptive given her disqualification from the Tokyo 2020 Olympics. But she had the backing of the Dallas community all along and made that known during the halftime ceremony celebrating her.

This is where I come from,” Richardson said. “Thank you for supporting me no matter how far I go.” Richardson’s 10.09 split in the 4×100 relay at the Paris Games overcame the leads of Great Britain and Germany entering the last turn, securing the gold for Team USA. But before she was catapulted to the world stage or broke the collegiate record in the 100 en route to a NCAA Division I title as a freshman at LSU, she was a track star at Carter. As a junior, Richardson broke the 4A state-meet record in the 100m and crushed the state-meet record in the 200m as a senior. The official Sha’Carri Richardson track @dallasschools @SportsDayHS pic.twitter.com/DukRrO5EW1 – Myah Taylor (@t_myah) September 21, 2024ADVERTISEMENT Richardson’s rise has inspired many in the Dallas community to achieve big things, speakers said Friday night

Sha’Carri, you have often said your grandmother, she’s your superwoman,” Dallas ISD Superintendent Stephanie S. Elizalde said. “Dallas ISD says thank you for being all of our superwoman.” The support for Richardson has extended beyond Dallas ISD. Dallas Mayor Eric Johnson declared Nov. 10, 2023, as Sha’Carri Richardson Day. While she’s been all over the world at this point, Richardson said Dallas will always be a special place for her. “It’s an honor, but it also shows that I have a responsibility to Dallas and DISD,” Richardson said. “I think people forget where I come from and that’s Dallas. That’s where I get my heart. That’s where I get my mind-set.”