Buffalo State honored NCAA Division III Champion Richard Harris (Hilton/Hilton) with a national championship ring last night at the annual "Student-Athlete Welcome Back" in the Buffalo State Sports Arena.

Harris won the NCAA Division III Championship in the 110-meter high hurdles last May with a school and stadium record time of 14.12 at Wartburg College in Waverly, Iowa. He became the first Bengal to win a national championship since Daryl Brownlee won the indoor 55-meter dash in 1986, and is the first athlete in school history to earn indoor and outdoor All-America honors in the same season. He finished third in the 55-meter hurdles at the indoor championships.

Harris maintains a 3.18 grade point average in career and technology education and will graduate this May. He closed out his collegiate career at the NCAA Championship meet, but will serve as an assistant coach with the team this year.

The ring was presented to Harris by Head Coach Eugene Lewis and Director of Athletic Jerry Boyes.