Coach Ware is entering her sixth year at Southern University as an assistant track and field coach, working primarily with the Jaguars’ jumpers and long sprinters.
During the 2025 season, Southern’s jumpers continued to reach new heights under Ware’s direction. Roman Smith and Herman Batiste qualified for the NCAA East Regional in the high jump, with Smith becoming the first Southern athlete to reach the NCAA Championships since 2009. Both scored at the Southwestern Athletic Conference Outdoor Championships, as Smith earned a runner-up finish and Batiste placed fifth. Smith also captured a bronze medal at the SWAC Indoor Championships.
On the women’s side, Sahnya Lathon claimed the SWAC Outdoor Championship in the triple jump after placing fourth during the indoor season. Southern also scored valuable points in the women’s triple jump at the outdoor championships with third-, sixth-, and seventh-place finishes. Azariah Foster added a fourth-place finish in the women’s long jump.
In 2024, Ware’s jumpers continued their success on the runway. At the SWAC Indoor Championships, Azariah Foster, Yahria Bass and Sahnya Lathon finished second, fourth and fifth, respectively, in the triple jump, all setting personal records. Peyton Funderburk placed fifth in the long jump with a mark of 18-5. Camille Lewis recorded a personal-best 5-7 in the high jump and later finished as the SWAC Outdoor runner-up.
On the men’s side, Reginald King jumped a personal-best 48-5.25 to place seventh indoors before improving to 50-4 during the outdoor season. Roman Smith cleared a personal-best 7-1 in the high jump and finished the season ranked among the top 15 in the NCAA East Region. King, Kevon Hamilton and Smith all qualified for the NCAA First Round, finishing 15th, 46th and 39th nationally.
During the 2023 season, Hamilton earned the SWAC Indoor runner-up finish in the men’s triple jump with a mark of 49-10 before capturing the SWAC Outdoor Championship with a jump of 50-3. He later qualified for the NCAA First Round and finished 22nd in the nation.
In 2022, Southern’s jumpers and long sprinters continued to develop. Newcomer Kason Jones posted personal records in the 200 meters (21.95) and 400 meters (48.61), while Jordan Thompson ran a personal-best 49.86 in the 400. The men’s and women’s 4x400-meter relay teams both recorded personal records at the SWAC Indoor Championships, running 3:16.84 and 3:48.78 to finish second and fifth, respectively. In the field events, Ja’Carrius Demmeritte scored eight team points with seventh- and eighth-place finishes in the long jump and triple jump. Hamilton also surpassed 15 meters (49-7) in the triple jump during the outdoor season.
During the 2021 season, Southern’s horizontal and vertical jumpers and long sprinters consistently recorded personal bests. Freshmen Destiny Mitchell and Jordan Landry finished second and third in the high jump at the SWAC Indoor Championships. Jada Childers, the SWAC Indoor Performer of the Week during the opening week of the season, ran a personal-best and reached the finals of the women’s 400 meters at the conference meet. Mitchell later earned a silver medal in the high jump at the SWAC Outdoor Championships, while Demmeritte recorded personal bests throughout the outdoor season and was ranked among the top 20 in the NCAA East Region with a long jump of 24-7. Karanay Alexander also placed third in the heptathlon with 3,957 points.
During the 2020 indoor season, despite the year being cut short, Southern’s jumpers made an impact. Ware coached Aniyah Stiles to a third-place finish in the high jump, while freshman Anndrela Woods placed sixth in the long jump with an indoor personal best. Tessa Toney and Alexander both finished among the top eight in the women’s pentathlon.
Prior to Southern, Ware coached horizontal and vertical jumpers at Spartanburg High School in South Carolina during the 2019 season. She coached Cameron Gist to a state championship and school record in the triple jump while also finishing fourth in the long jump. Gist ranked among the top triple jumpers in the country.
Ware is familiar with the Southwestern Athletic Conference from her time at the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff from 2013–17. During her tenure, she coached Sydnee Worlds, the 2015 SWAC Indoor bronze medalist in both the long jump and triple jump. Worlds later won SWAC Outdoor titles in the long jump (19-11) and triple jump (39-11) while also placing fifth in the high jump, sixth in the heptathlon and eighth in the javelin. Worlds scored 29 team points and earned the meet’s high-point field award while also qualifying for the NCAA West First Round.
Ware also coached Crystal Christopher to a bronze medal at the 2015 SWAC Outdoor Championships and Briana Burke to a silver medal in the long jump at the 2017 conference meet. Burke also surpassed 20 feet in the event and qualified for the NCAA First Round.
Before UAPB, Ware spent one season at Iowa Central Community College, where she coached conference champions, school record holders, NJCAA national qualifiers and All-Americans. In 2013, the men’s and women’s teams finished as indoor national runners-up, while the women captured the NJCAA Outdoor National Championship.
Ware began her coaching career in 2010 at Coffeyville Community College, where she coached more than 20 All-Conference athletes, NJCAA national qualifiers and All-Americans, including one national champion. During the 2011 season, the school records in both the long jump and triple jump were broken, and three student-athletes surpassed 25 feet in the long jump in a single season.
A native of Indianapolis, Indiana, Ware competed at Georgia Southern University from 2008–10 under coach Natalie Smith, earning All-Conference honors in the 100 meters, 400-meter hurdles and relays. Prior to that, she competed at Rend Lake College, where she was a two-time NJCAA All-American in the 200 meters and long jump and set the school record in the 55 meters while ranking among the top three in school history in the 60 meters, 200 meters and long jump.
Ware earned her degree in Child Development with minors in Sociology and Education, and she holds a USTFCCCA Track and Field Certification.
