Delaney Ford Signs with Henderson State, Continuing Tradition at Umpire School District

The Umpire School District, a small 1A school, celebrated a major achievement Tuesday as senior Delaney Ford signed her letter of intent to attend Henderson State University, continuing her academic and athletic career.

The ceremony also highlighted a longstanding, though rare, tradition within the district. That tradition began in 1967 when the late Edsal Kesterson went on to play for Southern Arkansas University. Kesterson’s legacy was recognized at the event, where his father, Lloyd Kesterson, was in attendance. Cheyne Manning, also an Umpire graduate, went on to compete at the collegiate level after walking on at the University of Central Arkansas in 1993.

Ford’s signing marks the first ceremony of its kind for the district since May 2017, when Desmond Pinson and Dusty Kesterson signed with National Park College to become Nighthawks.

During the event, Principal Brian Richardson spoke about the strength of the Umpire Lady Wildcats program and highlighted Ford’s accomplishments academically.

Phoebe Pinson also addressed those in attendance, sharing an overview of Ford’s athletic statistics and contributions to the team.

Ford spoke in a separate interview about her future plans at Henderson State University, including her intended major, and reflected on what the opportunity means to her.

In that interview, she also offered advice and encouragement to younger student-athletes who hope to follow a similar path.

Ford’s signing represents not only a personal milestone, but also a meaningful moment for the Umpire community as it continues a proud, if infrequent, tradition of student-athletes advancing to the collegiate level.