Athlete – Track and Field
Native Lexingtonian Bethel Ward Jr. excelled in track and field at the high school and collegiate levels. A three-year jumper at Lafayette High School, Bethel won the state high school championship in the triple jump in 1977 and was state runner-up in 1978. He was also regional high school triple jump champion in 1977 and 1978 and regional runner-up in the long jump in 1978. Bethel was a 1st Team All-State performer in 1977, 2nd Team All-State in 1978, and All-Region in 1977 and 1978. He was also a member of the 1977 Lafayette Boys Track and Field State Runner-Up team and 1978 Lafayette Boys State Track and Field Championship team. In 1977 and 1978, his Lafayette track teams were also regional champions.
On the national level, Bethel was the district and regional National Junior Olympics triple jump champion in 1978, a National Junior Olympics finalist, and a member of the Who’s Who All-American Team in 1977 and 1978.
After high school, Bethel signed with the University of Louisville with a full scholarship in track and field and placed second in the triple jump as a freshman in the 1979 Metro 7 Indoor Championship. Bethel also won the 1979 Metro 7 Outdoor Championship and made the All-Conference team for both the indoor and outdoor seasons. Bethel then transferred to the University of Kentucky to compete at the Southeastern Conference level in track and field. While at UK, Bethel won the 1981 Outdoor SEC Championship in the triple jump and was named to the All-SEC Track First Team and All-Conference Team in the triple jump as well.
Bethel is currently retired from competing and is an Assistant Jumps Specialist for the University of Kentucky Track Team. A member of the Evangelical Temple of Refuge Church, Bethel is married to Toya Berry Ward and has two daughters, Shawna, 43, and Arianne, 37.
