Lamar University Athletics

The greatest multi-sport star to represent the Lamar University Lady Cardinals, Carolyn Ford was a great track athlete and an outstanding competitor on the basketball court. Ford was the AIAW national high jump champion in 1982, with a leap of 6-0.

A track All-American in 1981, Ford set Lamar track records in the high jump and the long jump. Ford’s high jump of 6-1 at the Stephen F. Austin Relays on May 2, 1981, and her long jump of 19-9.75 at the Ty Terrell Relays on March 31, 1981, still stood as LU records at the time of her induction.

Ford is the only LU women’s basketball player to teach the 1,000 plateau in both points and rebounds. At the time of her induction she was LU’s all-time leading rebounder with 1,052 and sixth on the scoring list with 1,056 points. She ranked third in school history in career rebounding average (10.3) and in free throws made (256).

Ford was the 1981 recipient of the Babe Zaharias Award, given annually to the female student-athlete with the highest grade-point average from all women’s sports.