Heidelberg Athletics Hall of Fame
1990 Heidelberg College graduate Dortha Ford set several records during her college career, but she is best known for a trip to the foul line in the Ohio Athletic Conference tournament championship. Ford sank two foul shots in the final second to send the team to the NCAA Division III Tournament for the first time in school history.
A 1986 graduate of Grove City High School, where she was a basketball, volleyball, and softball standout, Dortha is currently working for the city as a recreational coordinator. She enjoys coaching girls' basketball and Grove City High School and remains active in athletics, including softball, golf, basketball, and volleyball.
During her Heidelberg career, she was a member of the OAC regular season and tournament championship that team that had 27 wins, the most in Heidelberg history. That team won the NCAA Atlantic Region and the NCAA Quarterfinals before finishing third in the nation at the 'Final Four' NCAA Tournament in Holland, Michigan.
During her career (1986-90), Ford became the all-time scorer in school history with 1,778 points in 107 games. She holds the single-season record for most points (585), field goals (220), field goal attempts (465), and free throws (144) and claims the best career free throw percentage.
The team captain in 1989 and '90, Ford was first team All-OAC in 1988, '89, '90, and was honored as the team MVP in in 1988, and '90. She was an NCAA District All-American and NCAA Final Four Tournament pick in 1990.
Ford also played softball for Heidelberg in 1989 and '90 and was second team All-OAC in 1989 and '90 while serving as the team captain in 1990, the year she was ranked third in hitting in NCAA Division III.
Ford has attended the School for Sports Management at North Carolina State University and served as the director of the United States Slow Pitch Softball Association.
She has coordinated many local athletic tournaments and is actively involved in developing modified sports for disabled youth.
(This profile appeared in the 1998 Hall of Fame Banquet program.)
