Ford Named SEC Women’s Freshman Runner of the Year
COLUMBIA, S.C. (March 6, 2024) – South Carolina Track & Field freshman JaMeesia Ford continues to etch her name in the record books for the Gamecocks. The reigning 200-meter and 4×400 relay SEC Indoor Champion has been named the SEC Women’s Freshman Runner of the Year for the indoor season, as announced by the league office on Wednesday.
Ford becomes just the seventh Gamecock in program history to earn the distinguished award. She is just the fifth female to bring home the award for the Garnet & Black and marks the fourth indoor SEC Freshman of the Year for Carolina. She joins LaShinda Demus (2002), Nadonnia Rodrigues (2009) and Erika Rucker (2012) as the female Gamecocks to secure the award during the indoor campaign.
The Bowerman Watch List candidate is coming off a stellar SEC Indoor Championship debut in which she won a pair of events for the Garnet & Black. Ford clocked 22.36 to become Carolina’s first ever SEC Indoor 200m champion. Ford’s time of 22.36 is the fastest indoor 200m in Gamecock history and is currently ranked second in the world leaderboard. In addition, Ford is the fourth fastest collegiate runner on record for the 200m. Ford ranks third all-time in Gamecock history in the indoor 400m with a time of 51.33 which ranks sixth in the NCAA and 15th in the world.
Ford capped off the 2024 SEC Indoor Championship with a gold medal in the 4x400m relay, running the anchor leg in a split of 49.80. Ford aided South Carolina in earning its first 4×400 SEC crown since 2009. The quartet of Zaya Akins, Jahnile Registre, Jayla Jamison and Ford ran in a time of 3:26.05 for a new Gamecock indoor record.
Ford and several other Gamecocks will be back in action on Friday, March 8 and Saturday, March 9, when they travel to Boston, Mass. for the NCAA Indoor Championship. The meet will take place at the TRACK at New Balance.
