Immediately, Dick Wagner knew he had a special talent after watching Tyler Ford race down the runway, hit the board, arch through the air and crash down in the sand-filled landing pit.

Everything the Cary Academy jump coach could want in a long jumper — speed, athleticism, body control, competitiveness, a willingness to learn — fell in his lap when Ford arrived at the school last year.

And during the course of the last two seasons, she has blossomed into one of the state’s best long jumpers. She was the N.C. Independent Schools Athletic Association 3-A state champion last year, and she has the best seed mark —19 feet, 8 inches — heading into Saturday’s state championship meet in Charlotte.

“It’s not going to happen unless you come out here and work hard, and she’s done that,” said Allison McCoppin, Cary Academy’s head track and field coach. “She’s been more serious and more focused on really trying to excel this year. She has made that step and she’s ready to be up there.”

Ford has added almost a foot and a half to her long jump since last year, when her best mark was 18-3. In addition to her body’s natural growth that has allowed her to progress, she’s also improved her endurance. A switch from running the anchor leg of the 4x100 relay to competing in the 200 meters is to thank for that.

Most importantly, though, she has transformed from an athlete who long jumps to a bona fide long jumper.

“Everything has just come together better. Everything comes together on the board,” Wagner said. “She’s gotten better at hitting the board and getting off the board at the correct angle. Before that, it was just run and jump and let my athleticism take me farther than most people. Now she’s become a little more of a student and tactician of the jump.”

Ford found the track in middle school after giving up gymnastics. Though she enjoyed the competition and success, it wasn’t until this season — when she jumped more than 19 feet for the first time — that she realized her talent and potential.

“I never thought it’d be like this,” she said. “I never thought I’d like track this much. When I quit gymnastics, I just did this to keep me busy.”

Though Ford’s signature event is the long jump, she also excels in the triple jump, 100 meters and 200 meters. She is undefeated this season in those three events. On Saturday, she took first place in all four of her events at the Triangle Independent Schools Athletic Conference championships. She won the 100 in 12.3 seconds, the 200 in 25.6 seconds, the triple jump at 34 feet, 7.5 inches and the long jump at 19-8.

At last season’s state championship meet, Ford won the long jump, was third in the triple jump and 100 meters and anchored the 4x100 relay team to a runner-up finish. Cary Academy was the state runner-up, too.

“I just felt good that day,” Ford said.

Ironically, one of Ford’s best days this season coincided with the only meet in which she did not win her best event. At the Bojangles Apex Lions Relays on April 19, Ford finished second to Southeast Raleigh’s Chrishawn Williams by three-quarters of an inch.

The TISAC talent pool is not very deep — her closest competitor on Saturday was four feet off her winning jump — which allows Ford to win the event with marks sometimes two feet shorter than what she’s capable of. But at the Lions Relays, she had the chance to square off with competitors from the Triangle’s public schools.

She was seeded second going into the day behind Williams. To date, Ford’s best jump was 19-2.

On her last jump, Williams went 19-7.25.

Ford had already jumped a new personal best, 19-6.5, that day and felt 19-7 was within reach.

But she faulted on her final attempt. McCoppin and Ford both thought her voided jump was close to 20 feet.

“I was a little upset because I felt I could have done better,” Ford said.

Though it was the only time she didn’t win the long jump this spring, McCoppin said the day was an important step. Finally, Ford had someone who could match her, and she responded.

“She had four of her six jumps over 19 feet. The week before was the first time she jumped 19 feet,” McCoppin said. “To have that series really shows her maturity as a jumper. Anybody can sometimes put one big jump together, but she really had a good series.”

Ford is not standing atop the heap because she competes in the smaller NCISAA, which has around 100 schools (by comparison, the NCHSAA has more than 350 members). Her jump of 19-8 at the TISAC championships would have placed her second at the NCHSAA 4-A state championships, which were held Saturday in Greensboro. The 4-A champion, Southern Durham’s Jacinda Evans, cleared 19-9.75.

Wagner believes Ford’s best days in the long jump pit are ahead of her. But Ford isn’t sure how many jumps her future holds. She plans to attend North Carolina next year, but she has not yet decided if she will walk onto the track and field team.

So if this weekend is it for her, she intends to go out on a high note.

“I’m hoping for 20 [feet],” Ford said. “Hopefully I can hit that. … It would be great [to win]. I’m real excited to compete. I just have to make sure I keep in mind what coach tells me, and it hopefully will turn out well.”