Skip to main content
South Carolina

South Carolina Gamecocks All-American named semifinalist for Track and Field Athlete of the Year

by: Kevin Miller06/26/25kevinbmiller52
Youtube Thumbnails (4)
Jun 8, 2024; Eugene, OR, USA; McKenzie Long of Mississippi (right) defeats Jayla Jamison (left) and JaMeesia Ford (center) of South Carolina to win the women's 200m in 21.83 during the NCAA Track and Field Championships at Hayward Field. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

South Carolina Gamecocks sprinter JaMeesia Ford is a semifinalist for the Bowerman. Named after former Oregon Ducks track and field coach Bill Bowerman, the award is given each year to the top male and female track and field athletes in the country. Ford is one of ten female semifinalists and one of just three sprinters.

Ford, a sophomore who has been an All-American both of her two years on campus in Columbia, is the second Gamecock ever nominated for the award and the first female. This month, she was named the Southeast Region’s Women’s Track Athlete of the Year. Ford was a national champion in the 200-meter during this spring’s outdoor track season. She also won four SEC titles during the outdoor season.

Finalists for the Bowerman Award will be announced on Monday, July 7th.

Get USC Gamecocks app notifications

From the South Carolina Athletics release:

COLUMBIA, S.C. (June 25, 2025) – The official semifinalist list has been announced for The Bowerman on Wednesday afternoon and JaMeesia Ford has made the list.

Ford is just the second Gamecock ever to be named to the semifinalist list and the first female in program history to do so, joining Johnny Dutch who was named to the list in 2010.

 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 recently named Southeast Region Women’s Track Athlete of the Year for the second straight season. The sophomore sprinter scored 20 points at the NCAA Outdoor Championships thanks to a national title in the 200 meters, runner-up finish in the 100 meters and a tote on the runner-up 4x100m relay. Ford clocked 10.87 and 21.98 in the NCAA semifinals for the seventh fastest one-day 100-200 double in world history. Earlier in the season, Ford starred at the SEC Outdoor Championships, where she pulled off an unprecedented quadruple: individual titles in the 100 and 200; totes on both winning the 4x100m relay and the 4x400m relay. The North Carolina native was responsible for 25 points at the SEC Outdoor Championships, earning the Commissioner’s Trophy for her efforts.

Joining Ford on The Bowerman Semifinalist list are Aaliyah Butler (Georgia-Sprints), Pamela Kosgei (New Mexico-Distance), Elena Kulichenko (Georgia-Jumps), Mya Lesnar (Colorado State-Throws), Doris Lemngole (Alabama-Distance), Amanda Moll (Washington-Pole Vault), Hana Moll (Washington-Pole Vault), Savannah Sutherland (Michigan-Sprints/Hurdles) and Roisin Willis (Stanford-Middle Distance).

The three finalists for The Bowerman will be declared on Monday, July 7. On-line fan voting will take place July 8-10, where the winner will be announced at the yearly USTFCCCA Convention on Thursday, Dec. 18.

Visit The Insiders Forum, our exclusive Gamecocks-only, no-trolls message board!

You may also like