Ford Secures Third Consecutive Bowerman Watch List
COLUMBIA, S.C. (March 20, 2024) – For the third consecutive month, South Carolina Track & Field star freshman JaMeesia Ford has been named to The Bowerman Watch List. This watch list serves as the midseason watch list as all schools have now transitioned to the outdoor campaign.
The Bowerman debuted in 2009 and is named after former Oregon Head Coach Bill Bowerman and is presented annually to the most outstanding male and female NCAA track & field athletes in the nation.
Ford was named to the each of the first two Bowerman Watch Lists and is looking to become the first Gamecock in program history to win the award for either the men or women.
Ford most recently won the USTFCCCA Women’s Southeast Regional Track Athlete of the Year on March 14 and was also named the SEC Women’s Freshman Runner of the Year on March 6.
The Fayetteville, N.C. product helped the Gamecocks to a 12th-place finish at the NCAA Indoor Championship, the best team finish since 2019. Ford backed up her 200m SEC title by winning the 200m sprint at the NCAA Indoor Championship after clocking a new program record 22.34. The fastest U20 runner in history stamped her name as the best 200m sprinter in the country after becoming Carolina’s first 200m national champion since Shalonda Solomon in 2006.
Ford then ran the anchor leg of the 4x400m relay that won the national title for the first time since 2019. Just 30 minutes after completing her 200m race, Ford clocked a split of 50.74 to bring home the gold. Ford earned a pair of First Team All-American honors for her performance in Boston.
Joining Ford on the second updated version of the Bowerman Watch List are: Lamara Distin (Texas A&M), Rachel Glenn (Arkansas), Jasmine Jones (Southern California), Brianna Lyston (LSU), Olivia Markezich (Notre Dame), Maia Ramsden (Harvard), Michaela Rose (LSU), Parker Valby (Florida) and Juliette Whittaker (Stanford).
The next update will occur on Wednesday, April 10 (women) and Thursday, April 11 (men).
Ford and the rest of the Gamecocks are back in action this weekend when they host their first outdoor meet of the season in the Weems Baskin Invitational. The meet is scheduled to begin Friday, March 22 and conclude Saturday, March 23.
