Inside South Carolina’s JaMeesia Ford victory in NCAA track title

South Carolina sprinter JaMeesia Ford added a second national championship in track and field.

The sophomore won the women’s 200 meters at the 2025 NCAA Outdoor Championship in Eugene, Oregon, on June 14. She finished in 22.21 seconds to edge Southern Cal’s Madison Whyte (22.23) to became the first female runner from South Carolina to win the event since Shalonda Solomon in 2006.

Ford was second in the 200 last year and won the 2024 indoor title in the 200.

In the 100, Ford was second in 11.14 and became the first woman from South Carolina to score in the event since 2011.

Her time of 10.87 in the 100 semifinal was a personal best and the sixth fastest for a collegiate woman. She set a program record of 21.98 in the 200 and became the fifth all-time collegiate woman to run a sub-22.

“I’m most proud of my 100,” Ford told reporters. “I’m just proud of myself, I’m just proud that I am here and made it to nationals.”

South Carolina was second in 4×100 relay which Ford was part of with Jayla Jamison, Cynteria James, and Zaya Akins. They set a program record of 42.40 which was the best finish for the Gamecocks since 2005.

“I work for who I am and what I do,” Ford said. “I just put my all into everything I do.”

Ford said she had a hamstring strain during the SEC championships but she had been running through it. She revealed it got worse and impacted her training a lot but even though it bothered her, she still got to the national championship and “survived and advanced.”

“I can say the reason why I’ve been fighting through it is because I am a competitive person,” Ford said. “I don’t like letting people down, even myself as well, I just fight through it. I fought through the 200m, I pushed, I just gave it my all.”

She altered her training and revealed to reporters a lot of it was mentally difficult.

“It is very mental,” Ford said. “I just want to say, don’t be afraid to cry. Don’t be scared to hide your emotions. A lot of athletes will go through so much stuff, and nobody will know what they go through. I feel like mental health it plays a big role in track and field.”

Ford is dating MiLaysia Fulwiley, a star basketball guard who transferred from South Carolina to LSU in April. Fulwiley was in attendance to support Ford.

Lulu Kesin covers South Carolina athletics for The Greenville News and the USA TODAY Network. Email her at lkesin@gannett.com and follow her on X, formerly known as Twitter, @Lulukesin