Tempe-bound: Albuquerque High sprinter, jumper Fredrick Ford commits to Arizona State
Albuquerque High star Fredrick Ford and his parents at his college signing ceremony Saturday at the high school.
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One of the state’s top sprinters is Tempe-bound.
Albuquerque High sprinter and jumper Fredrick Ford announced his commitment to run at Arizona State on Saturday.
With offers from New Mexico and Arkansas State in play, Ford said he reached out to Arizona State two months ago to gauge their interest in having him join the team. The late recruitment “blossomed” from there as the high-point athlete at last season’s metro and state championships was drawn in by the Sun Devils’ program success and the community surrounding the campus.
By the time he received a formal offer, going to ASU felt like a “no-brainer.”
“It just made for an amazing environment for me,” Ford added. “I felt like my recruitment through them was perfect, while a lot of other schools were more facility-based – like, ‘check out what we have’ (instead of being) more community-based.”
Ford, who finished second in his first-ever decathlon last week at the Great Southwest Classic, said ASU’s willingness to let him utilize his versatility and potentially continue in the event was also a selling point.
“It’s not something where every single day I’m doing the same thing … I’m doing shot put, I’m doing discus, I’m sprinting, I’m jumping,” he said. “It was really appealing that I wasn’t just doing the same thing every single day – I was learning new techniques to get better.”
Ahead of enrollment, Ford said he’s considering studying psychology or business at ASU, with a lean towards the latter after participating in DECA for three years at Albuquerque High.
But for now, he’s happy with his most recent choice.
“It’s a big relief to finally know where I’m going and know that there’s a place out there that I feel comfortable going to, a place that I feel welcomed,” he said.
