Photo by: Errol Anderson
Jessica Beard's career best earns 400m silver at USATF Championships
Jun 23, 2018 | Track and Field
DES MOINES, Iowa – Texas A&M alum Jessica Beard finished second in the women's 400m final with a career best time of 50.08 at the USATF Championships on Saturday at Drake Stadium, a venue Beard made Aggie history back in 2011.
Shakima Wimbley won the race in a facility record of 49.52 as Kendall Ellis of USC placed third in 50.37 and Courtney Okolo finished fourth in 50.65. Beard's previous PR was 50.52 from a meet in Kingston last month. Prior to 2018, Beard's prior best was 50.56 from 2009.
"This is my highest finish ever at USAs, and to do it with a personal best by almost half a second at the very place I won NCAAs is a great feeling," said Beard. "I have my sister here along with my parents. So many people were telling me they were tuned in. It's an awesome feeling."
In 2011, Beard won the NCAA 400m title in 51.10 at Drake and anchored the Texas A&M's 4x400 relay with a 49.13 split, the fastest in NCAA Championship history, to move the Aggies from third to first as A&M claimed a third consecutive team title with a school record time of 3:26.31.
Beard, stationed in lane four for the final, cruised through the first 200m of the race as she made up the stagger on Okolo in lane five and Ellis in lane six. Wimbley, running in lane three, passed Beard through the curve with 140m remaining.
As Wimbley maintained her edge to the finish line, Beard used a strong push on the homestretch to secure second place and put some distance on Ellis and Okolo.
"I usually live in lane two when we have a final, or lane eight and one," noted Beard. "I wanted to give myself to an opportunity to get a preferred lane this time to do just enough for an opportunity to win or set a career best.
"I didn't feel Shakima through the curve until she ran up beside me. Being a competitor my first thought was to go with her, but I remember my coaches telling me to run my race and go at my spot. So, I was mindful of that. I've been working on my finish a lot, along with my start. When I set my race up I put myself in a good position."
Audie Wyatt finished in a four-way tie for ninth place in the pole vault. He cleared the opening height of 17-10 ½ (5.45) on his second attempt and then missed three tries at 18-2 ½ (5.55). Jacob Wooten was one of 10 vaulters to miss the opening height among the field of 23.
Through the first day of the heptathlon, Aggie alum Annie Kunz is in third place with 3,609 points while Texas A&M senior Shaina Burns is in 15th place with a score of 3,181.
Kunz opened with a 13.84 in the 100m hurdles for 1,001 points, then cleared 5-7 ¾ (1.72) in the high jump for 879 points. In the shot put a career best of 48-0 ½ (14.64) by Kunz was second best overall and moved her into second place in the overall score. Finishing the first day of the multi with a 24.94 in the 200m picked up 892 points.
"This is my first real US Championships," said Kunz. "I did the Olympic Trials, but usually I was involved in soccer every summer. I feel that I'm getting back to where I was after being injured all last year. It's been an uphill battle, but I finally feel I'm about to peak at the right time.
"I'm feeling stronger and that was evident with my shot put today. It's come a really long way. Now I just need to get my speed back. I'm pretty close to my day one best score, so I'm pleased with how today went and it gives me confidence heading into tomorrow. It's easy to be impatient in this event."
Burns posted a time of 14.39 (924 points) in the 100m hurdles, high jumped 5-4 ¼ (1.63) for 771 points and then added 717 more points with a 42-1 ½ (12.84) shot put. Burns closed out the first day with a 26.33 in the 200m for 769 points.
Shamier Little won her semifinal heat of the 400m hurdles in 55.38 seconds over LSU's Kymber Payne (55.55) and Ashley Spencer (56.26). The other semifinal was claimed in 54.64 by Georganne Moline with Cassandra Tate (55.33) runner-up.
sAmeer Webb won his 200m prelim heat in 20.39 (0.3 wind), the top qualifying time advancing to the semifinals over a 20.46 by USC's Michael Norman. Dedric Dukes was runner-up to Webb in the first prelim heat in 20.48.
In the women's 200m, a trio of Aggie alums were in action with two advancing to the semifinal. Ashton Purvis placed fourth in the first heat and advanced on time with a 23.15. Jeneba Tarmosh placed third in the fifth heat as her 23.27 advanced on time. Aaliyah Brown finished fifth in the same heat with Tarmoh, but her 23.44 didn't advance.
USATF Championships – Des Moines, Iowa – Texas A&M Schedule
Sunday, June 24
11:30 a.m. Women Heptathlon Long Jump Shaina Burns, Annie Kunz
12:50 p.m. Women Heptathlon Javelin Shaina Burns, Annie Kunz
2:00 p.m. Men 200m Semifinals Ameer Webb
2:15 p.m. Women 200m Semifinals Ashton Purvis, Jeneba Tarmoh
2:50 p.m. Women Heptathlon 800m Shaina Burns, Annie Kunz
3:44 p.m. Women 400m Hurdles FINAL Shamier Little
4:10 p.m. Men 200m FINAL (Ameer Webb)
4:20 p.m. Women 200m FINAL (Ashton Purvis, Jeneba Tarmoh)
Shakima Wimbley won the race in a facility record of 49.52 as Kendall Ellis of USC placed third in 50.37 and Courtney Okolo finished fourth in 50.65. Beard's previous PR was 50.52 from a meet in Kingston last month. Prior to 2018, Beard's prior best was 50.56 from 2009.
"This is my highest finish ever at USAs, and to do it with a personal best by almost half a second at the very place I won NCAAs is a great feeling," said Beard. "I have my sister here along with my parents. So many people were telling me they were tuned in. It's an awesome feeling."
In 2011, Beard won the NCAA 400m title in 51.10 at Drake and anchored the Texas A&M's 4x400 relay with a 49.13 split, the fastest in NCAA Championship history, to move the Aggies from third to first as A&M claimed a third consecutive team title with a school record time of 3:26.31.
Beard, stationed in lane four for the final, cruised through the first 200m of the race as she made up the stagger on Okolo in lane five and Ellis in lane six. Wimbley, running in lane three, passed Beard through the curve with 140m remaining.
As Wimbley maintained her edge to the finish line, Beard used a strong push on the homestretch to secure second place and put some distance on Ellis and Okolo.
"I usually live in lane two when we have a final, or lane eight and one," noted Beard. "I wanted to give myself to an opportunity to get a preferred lane this time to do just enough for an opportunity to win or set a career best.
"I didn't feel Shakima through the curve until she ran up beside me. Being a competitor my first thought was to go with her, but I remember my coaches telling me to run my race and go at my spot. So, I was mindful of that. I've been working on my finish a lot, along with my start. When I set my race up I put myself in a good position."
Audie Wyatt finished in a four-way tie for ninth place in the pole vault. He cleared the opening height of 17-10 ½ (5.45) on his second attempt and then missed three tries at 18-2 ½ (5.55). Jacob Wooten was one of 10 vaulters to miss the opening height among the field of 23.
Through the first day of the heptathlon, Aggie alum Annie Kunz is in third place with 3,609 points while Texas A&M senior Shaina Burns is in 15th place with a score of 3,181.
Kunz opened with a 13.84 in the 100m hurdles for 1,001 points, then cleared 5-7 ¾ (1.72) in the high jump for 879 points. In the shot put a career best of 48-0 ½ (14.64) by Kunz was second best overall and moved her into second place in the overall score. Finishing the first day of the multi with a 24.94 in the 200m picked up 892 points.
"This is my first real US Championships," said Kunz. "I did the Olympic Trials, but usually I was involved in soccer every summer. I feel that I'm getting back to where I was after being injured all last year. It's been an uphill battle, but I finally feel I'm about to peak at the right time.
"I'm feeling stronger and that was evident with my shot put today. It's come a really long way. Now I just need to get my speed back. I'm pretty close to my day one best score, so I'm pleased with how today went and it gives me confidence heading into tomorrow. It's easy to be impatient in this event."
Burns posted a time of 14.39 (924 points) in the 100m hurdles, high jumped 5-4 ¼ (1.63) for 771 points and then added 717 more points with a 42-1 ½ (12.84) shot put. Burns closed out the first day with a 26.33 in the 200m for 769 points.
Shamier Little won her semifinal heat of the 400m hurdles in 55.38 seconds over LSU's Kymber Payne (55.55) and Ashley Spencer (56.26). The other semifinal was claimed in 54.64 by Georganne Moline with Cassandra Tate (55.33) runner-up.
sAmeer Webb won his 200m prelim heat in 20.39 (0.3 wind), the top qualifying time advancing to the semifinals over a 20.46 by USC's Michael Norman. Dedric Dukes was runner-up to Webb in the first prelim heat in 20.48.
In the women's 200m, a trio of Aggie alums were in action with two advancing to the semifinal. Ashton Purvis placed fourth in the first heat and advanced on time with a 23.15. Jeneba Tarmosh placed third in the fifth heat as her 23.27 advanced on time. Aaliyah Brown finished fifth in the same heat with Tarmoh, but her 23.44 didn't advance.
USATF Championships – Des Moines, Iowa – Texas A&M Schedule
Sunday, June 24
11:30 a.m. Women Heptathlon Long Jump Shaina Burns, Annie Kunz
12:50 p.m. Women Heptathlon Javelin Shaina Burns, Annie Kunz
2:00 p.m. Men 200m Semifinals Ameer Webb
2:15 p.m. Women 200m Semifinals Ashton Purvis, Jeneba Tarmoh
2:50 p.m. Women Heptathlon 800m Shaina Burns, Annie Kunz
3:44 p.m. Women 400m Hurdles FINAL Shamier Little
4:10 p.m. Men 200m FINAL (Ameer Webb)
4:20 p.m. Women 200m FINAL (Ashton Purvis, Jeneba Tarmoh)
Players Mentioned
Sprints
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Multi
/ Track and Field
Multi
/ Track and Field
Hurdles
/ Track and Field
Sprints
/ Track and Field
Pole Vault
/ Track and Field
Pole Vault
/ Track and FieldMonday, June 08
Friday, June 05
Wednesday, February 25
Tuesday, May 27
