Former Sayre Standout Sophia Richardson Loves Playing Two Sports at Centre College

Sophia Richardson was second in the nation in assists for the Sayre lacrosse team in 2023.

She was a two-sport standout at Sayre High School in Lexington who wanted to try both sports — basketball and lacrosse — at Centre College.

“I think if I loved one more than another I would not be here doing both,” freshman Sophia Richardson said. “Maybe I will have an answer after I go through my full second season, but so far I have loved both here.”

Richardson has played in seven of Centre’s 11 lacrosse matches after joining the team a bit late because she was on the basketball team. She has five goals and five assists which is no surprise since she led the state in assists her final two seasons when Sayre won one state title and was runner-up the other year. She was second nationally in assists per game her senior year in 2023 when she had 87 assists.

She scored over 1,000 points for the Sayre basketball team — she averaged 14.3 points and 5.0 rebounds per game as a senior — but played only sparingly in eight games for the Colonels mainly because she was playing behind all-conference junior Bailey Rucker.

“I have never learned more about basketball than I did this year. People might not have got to see it, but I grew as a player. This team was so special to me. There was so much leadership on the team and the older girls were really good at basketball,” Richardson said. “Being able to learn daily under Bailey Rucker was an opportunity I will never get again. She’s an amazing player and going against her every day is one of the  main reasons I grew as a player.”

She liked the way coach Wendie Austin structured practices and helped her decision-making improve. Richardson also spent “countless hours in the gym when nobody saw me” working on her shooting.

“My shooting got better doing what Coach calls the little things that turn into the biggest things,” Richardson said.

The versatile freshman was surprised how lessons she learned in basketball “transferred” to lacrosse immediately. She said basketball was a hard season because it was so long and involved countless hours in the weight room along with the gym.

“All that taught me to be a better teammate and play and that has helped me with lacrosse, too,” Richardson, age 18, said.

She played basketball starting at age 5 but did not start lacrosse until her sixth grade year when the sport got started in Lexington. Her math teacher decided to be the team’s coach, knew she was athletic and asked her to join the team.

“I said no the whole fall and then finally said yes,” Richardson said.  

She figured her chances to play more would be better in lacrosse than basketball  even though she knew it would also be a learning year.

“I feel I have the talent to help and my skills make me a good lacrosse player,” Richardson said.

When she’s not playing, it’s easy to spot Richardson whether it is in basketball or lacrosse. She doesn’t stay still on the sideline and is also very vocal in her support of her teammates.

“I am always going to be cheering as loud as I can. I get so excited sometimes I lose my voice after a win,” the Centre freshman said.

She laughed that when she got to play in her first lacrosse game it got “quieter” on the sideline and teammates let her know about it.

“I just do what needs to be done at the time. If my role is to cheer, I cheer. If I need to pass to our best scorer, I pass. If my role is to score, I will score,” she said. “I am not the tallest, not the strongest and not the fastest but I have the biggest heart anybody could ask for and that goes over my athletic ability and that always wins.

“Working hard is one of the best things you can do and coach Austin said all the time if you work hard you can overcome any deficit.”

That same attitude carries over to her academics. She described Sayre as an “academic heavy” school that she loved so much she didn’t want to leave.

“I would have repeated high school if I could have but I have loved Centre College so much. I would not have gone to a school that was not strong in academics, even for sports that I love,” Richardson said. “None of  my family or friends had gone to Centre. A few people from Sayre have gone every year to Centre but I really can’t explain what drew me to Centre but it has been a very strong bond.”

She’s a biology major who wants to do something in the medical field.

“Even with two sports I think I can do it but it does seem kind of crazy,” Richardson said. “I have been considering med school and have some internships and work this summer in the medical area to help me decide what I want to do before next year.”

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Centre (9-2, 3-0 Southern Athletic Association) return to action Saturday at Rhodes College.