Thresher Athletics Hall of Fame
Ward attended Bethel College from 1993-'96 and returned in 1997-'98 after taking a year off from school. During his time as a Thresher, Jared's talents would lead three teams to the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) National Tournament and would earn him tremendous accolades both regionally and nationally.
In 1995 Jared was named the Most Valuable Player of the 1994-'95 team which experienced tremendous success and is already honored by the hall of fame committee. Jared would go on to set Bethel records for most wins in a 4-year career (179), most wins at number 1 singles (73) and most wins at number 1 doubles (82). Ward was voted to the All–District 10 Team and became the only player in history to have earned Kansas Collegiate Athletic Conference (KCAC) 1st Team honors and the KCAC "Most Valuable Player" award all four years.
Since leaving Bethel, Jared has earned the highest rating from the United States Professional Tennis Association (USPTA) and began serving as a Head Tennis Professional in clubs in South Dakota and Arkansas. Most recently, Jared and his wife Christy established the Ozark Tennis Academy which quickly became the most successful tennis academy in Arkansas.
In 2005, Ward was named the USPTA "Professional of the Year." He was selected to coach the Arkansas Junior Davis Cup team from 2007-'11 and again in 2013. He received the Victor Sheshunoff Meritorious Education Award in 2012.
