Ford is named to the Bowerman watch list for the fourth consecutive year – University of South Carolina Athletics

COLUMBIA, S.C. (April 10, 2024) – For the fourth consecutive month, South Carolina track and field star JaMeesia Ford has been named to the Bowerman Watch List. This watch list serves as a mid-outdoor watch list as the Gamecocks are halfway through the outdoor season.

The Bowerman was introduced in 2009 and is named after former Oregon head coach Bill Bowerman. It is awarded annually to the nation's most outstanding male and female NCAA track and field athletes.

Ford first appeared on the Bowerman watch list in early February and has now appeared for the fourth consecutive year. Ford is aiming to become the first Gamecock in program history to receive this prestigious award.

Since the last watch list on March 20, Ford has appeared in two of the Gamecocks' outdoor meetings. She made her outdoor debut in the women's 400m at the Weems Baskin Invitational and won with a time of 51.16, which was the fastest time in the NCAA this season. Her 400-meter dash time also set a new facility record on the Cregger track and ranks seventh all-time in Gamecock history. She then ran the preliminary leg of the women's 4×400 m relay, running 3:34.80 minutes to secure victory at the Weems Baskin Invitational.

The next week at the Pepsi Florida Relays, Ford ran the second fastest 200 m time in Gamecock history when she won with a time of 22.37 (0.9). Ford was also part of two relays that ranked in the top three in the NCAA this season. She entered the Florida Relays with a run in the 4×100 m relay, running 43.34 for the win and placing second in the NCAA and seventh in program history. She capped the Florida Relays as final runner in the 4x400m relay, running a 400m split time of 49.38 to help the Gamecocks jump from fifth to first place with the 10th^Th fastest time in program history and third in the NCAA this season.

Ford on the fourth updated version of the Bowerman watch list includes: Lamara Distin (Texas A&M), Rachel Glenn (Arkansas), Jasmine Jones (Southern California), Brianna Lyston (LSU), Maia Ramsden (Harvard), Michaela Rose (LSU). ), Jaida Ross (Oregon), Parker Valby (Florida) and Juliette Whittaker (Stanford).

The next update will be on Wednesday, May 1st (women) and Thursday, May 2nd (men).

Ford and the rest of the Gamecocks will travel back to Gainesville, Florida this weekend to compete in the Tom Jones Invitational. The two-day meeting begins on Friday, April 12th and ends on Saturday, April 13th.