FAYETTEVILLE, N.C. — One of Fayetteville’s most accomplished young athletes is beginning a new chapter in her track career as JaMeesia Ford, a graduate of Jack Britt High School, has signed with LSU after three seasons competing for the University of South Carolina.
LSU announced Ford’s addition on Sunday, July 26, adding a three-time NCAA champion and nine-time SEC champion to one of college track and field’s most recognizable programs. Ford leaves South Carolina with 15 All-American honors and a résumé that has already placed the Fayetteville native among the nation’s elite collegiate sprinters.
Before competing on the national stage, Ford developed into a standout athlete at Jack Britt High School in Fayetteville. Now her move to Baton Rouge carries a familiar look for those who followed her locally: Ford will once again compete in purple and gold, the colors she wore at Jack Britt before beginning her college career in the SEC.
Ford’s rise at South Carolina was quick. As a freshman in 2024, she won NCAA indoor national championships in both the 200 meters and 4×400-meter relay. She added another national championship in 2025, winning the NCAA outdoor 200-meter title in 22.21 seconds after finishing as the national runner-up in the event the previous year.
Her 2025 season further established her as one of college track’s premier sprinters. At the SEC Outdoor Championships, Ford won the 100 and 200 meters and ran on South Carolina’s winning 4×100 and 4×400 relay teams. The four victories earned her the SEC Commissioner’s Trophy after she accounted for 25 points toward South Carolina’s team total.
At the 2025 NCAA Outdoor Championships, Ford ran personal bests of 10.87 seconds in the 100 meters and 21.98 in the 200 during the semifinal rounds. She went on to win the 200 national championship, finish second in the 100 and help South Carolina finish second in the 4×100 relay. Her performances helped the Gamecocks earn their best NCAA outdoor team finish since 2006.
Those times also help put her speed into perspective for casual track fans. Breaking 11 seconds in the women’s 100 meters or 22 seconds in the 200 is an elite level of sprinting even among top NCAA competitors. Ford has accomplished both, making her success about more than the number of medals she has collected.
A Difficult End to the 2026 NCAA Season
Ford remained among the nation’s leading sprinters during the 2026 season, but her NCAA championship meet ended unexpectedly in June.
She had advanced to the NCAA 100-meter final after running a season-best 11.02 in the semifinal. Later during the 200-meter preliminaries at Hayward Field in Eugene, Oregon, Ford pulled up during her race with an apparent lower-body injury and was unable to finish. She left the track in a wheelchair and ultimately did not compete in the 100-meter final.
LSU’s July 26 signing announcement did not provide an update on the injury or a timetable for her return. Instead, the university highlighted the championship experience and versatility Ford will bring to its women’s sprint program.
Ford has competed across several sprint events during her college career, including the 60, 100, 200, 300 and 400 meters, along with multiple relay events. LSU lists her collegiate personal bests at 7.24 in the 60, 10.87 in the 100, 21.98 in the 200, 35.83 in the 300 and 50.25 in the 400.
That range is particularly valuable in college track, where athletes can contribute points in individual events and relays during the same championship meet. Ford demonstrated that ability throughout her South Carolina career, particularly during the 2025 SEC Outdoor Championships when she contributed to four conference titles in one meet.
From Jack Britt to Another SEC Powerhouse
The move keeps Ford in the Southeastern Conference, meaning she will continue competing at one of the highest levels of NCAA track and field while joining an LSU program with a long history in the sport.
For Fayetteville, Ford’s journey is also another example of a local high school athlete progressing from Cumberland County competition to national championships and major NCAA programs.
Her path has taken her from Jack Britt High School to South Carolina, where she became an NCAA champion, SEC champion and All-American, and now to Baton Rouge for the next stage of her collegiate career.
And in a fitting connection to where her track career first gained local attention, Ford will be wearing purple and gold again.
This time, it will be for the LSU Tigers.
Kres Thomas
FayToday News
