Ford Lands on Sixth Consecutive Bowerman Watch List
COLUMBIA, S.C. (May 15, 2024) – As she has done all season, South Carolina Track & Field star freshman, JaMeesia Ford, has been named to her sixth consecutive Bowerman Award Watch List. Ford is looking to become the first Gamecock in program history to earn the prestigious honor.
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 most recently competed at the 2024 SEC Outdoor Championships in which she earned silver medalist honors in both the 200m sprint and the 4x400m relay. In addition, Ford also scored in the 100m, finishing seventh overall. The Fayetteville, N.C. native opened the final day with a seventh-place finish in the women’s 100m, running a time of 11.24 (0.3). Later in the evening, Ford broke her own program record in the 200m finals when she clocked 22.11 (0.6) to finish runner-up. Her time in the 200m sprint tied Allyson Felix for the fastest U20 200m sprint in US history. Ford capped off her SEC Outdoor Championship with a silver medal in the 4x400m relay as the anchor leg, running 49.71 in the final split to guide South Carolina to eight more points.
Ford’s runner-up finish in the 200m sprint is the best result in the SEC Outdoor Championship for the women’s team since 2006, while the silver medal result in the 4x400m relay is the top result since 2016.
Joining Ford on the sixth updated version of the Bowerman Watch List are: Rachel Glenn (Arkansas), Jasmine Jones (Southern California), McKenzie Long (Ole Miss), Brianna Lyston (LSU), Nickisha Pryce (Arkansas), Maia Ramsden (Harvard), Michaela Rose (LSU), Jaida Ross (Oregon), Parker Valby (Florida).
The next update will occur on Wednesday, May 29 (women) and Thursday, May 30 (men).
Ford and the Gamecocks are back in action next week as South Carolina heads to the NCAA East Regional in Lexington, Ky. The regional meet will take place Wednesday, May 22 – Saturday, May 25 and will be the prelude to the NCAA Outdoor Championship in June.
