June 1, 2004
ORLANDO - Freshman LesSundra Ford will be the first athlete in the history of the UCF women's track and field program to participate in the NCAA National Championships when she heads to Austin, Texas from June 9-12.
Ford qualified by way of her school record of 5-feet, 11.25 inches (1.81 meters) in the high jump at the Florida Relays on March 27. The mark currently ranks her in a tie for 18th in the field of 29, which was announced on Tuesday morning.
She will be looking to rebound after not making the opening height at the NCAA Regional meet in Gainesville this past weekend.
"We are very excited for her," said Golden Knights' head coach Marcia Mansur-Wentworth. "She was very disappointed by her regional performance, which really just came down to a strategy error. She will bounce back because she is an excellent competitor. We look for her to have a strong showing at the NCAA's."
Ford has been one of the top high jumpers in the nation all season long and was ranked as high as seventh in the East Region.