COLUMBIA, Mo. – Mizzou Track & Field redshirt freshman Ja'Mari Ward (Cahokia, Ill.) was named the Southeastern Conference Field Athlete of the Week, announced by the league office Tuesday. Ward, who won was named the 2017 SEC Outdoor Field Athlete of the Year, set the indoor long jump school record at the Missouri Collegiate Challenge (Feb. 16).

Ward finished first in the long jump at last week's home meet, as the Tiger freshman recorded a jump of 7.97m (26-1.75) to set the school record, which surpassed Yussuf Alli's 1984 mark of 7.91m (25-11.75). The mark puts Ward in position to qualify for the NCAA Indoor Track & Field Championships, as it currently matches the fourth-best jump in the NCAA this season (top-16 marks qualify). Ward's mark is also tied for the best mark in the SEC this season, as Florida's Grant Holloway recorded an identical mark at the Razorback Invitational on Jan. 26.

Among program records, Ward now holds the school record in the indoor long jump, the second-best mark in the outdoor long jump (8.13m/26-8.25), the sixth-best indoor triple jump mark (15.66m/51-4.5) and the eighth-best outdoor triple jump mark (15.44m/50-8).

Ward redshirted the indoor season in 2017 before joining the Tigers for a stand-out outdoor season, as he captured the SEC long jump title as was named the conference's top freshman field athlete. Outside of Mizzou, Ward captured a Pan American Junior title in the long jump in July 2017, and won a junior national title in the long jump in 2016.  

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