Whatever Happened To: Jessica Beard's High School Opponents

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Ohio native Jessica Beard was a four-time outdoor Division I state champion in the 400-meter dash at Euclid High School. In college at Texas A&M, she won national championships in the 400 meters and 1,600-meter relay in 2011. As a pro Beard took two world championships as a participant for the 1,600-meter relay in 2011 and 2013.

In this piece we rewind all the way back to the mid-2000s when Beard electrified the high school scene in Ohio as we take a look at some of the competitors that she faced and see whatever became of them on the next level of track and field.

2004

As a freshman in 2004, Beard ran her first preliminary race at the Ohio state championship meet. She qualified with the second fastest time (56.55) behind sophomore Danyelle McGary of Toledo Libbey (55.79). She finished just ahead of junior Betsy Allen of Wooster and senior Stephanie Stromp of Worthington Kilbourne.

In the final Beard won the race with a time of 55.36. She beat McGary (55.68), while Allen placed third at 56.10. Others in the final included Emily Wollet (Canfield), Betheny Swanson (Columbus East) the previous mentioned Stromp along with Tameka Royal (Maple Heights) and Chaquerra Allen (Hilliard Darby).

The seniors in that race were Allen, Wollet and Stromp. Allen went on to compete at Michigan State as a long jumper during the 2006-08 seasons. Wollet competed for Youngstown State (2004-09) and was a third place finisher for the Horizon League championship's 400 meters race in 2009. After she completed her career she became the assistant athletic athletic director at Youngstown State.

Stromp was on the Purdue track squad during the 2004-05 season. She later became a fitness competitor. Allen continued her career in the 400-meters for Miami University.

2005

During her sophomore season, four other athletes finished ahead of Beard (56.94) during the preliminaries. McGary once again had the top prelim time of 54.56. A new freshman threat by the name of Meshawn Graham of Toledo Bowsher clocked in at 55.37.

Maple Heights' Royal ran a career best time of 56.39 and another freshman Amber Stokes (St. Francis De Sales) recorded a time of 56.41.

During the finals Beard (53.47) beat out McGary's time of 54.64. A trio of freshmen opened eyes as Graham (54.22) Shaker Heights' Shaniqua McGinnis (55.83) and Stokes (56.70) placed third, fourth and fifth respectively. Royal was sixth in her final high school race, followed by senior Charrelle Montgomery (Canton McKinley) and sophomore Tiana Davis (Elyria).

McGary faced Beard one last time during the 2006 indoor season where she placed fourth at the Ohio indoor championships. The race was won by Beard as McGinnis and Graham placed second and third respectively. There are no more recorded high school meets where McGary's results can be found and we weren't able to find any collegiate competitions as well.

Royal competed in college at for Cornell, an Ivy League institution. Montgomery ran at Barton County Community College in 2007 and St. Augustine's in 2008.

Davis was on the Cincinnati track squad during the 2007-08 season.

2006

In 2006 Beard seemed unstoppable as she was making an attempt to become the first girl to win the 100, 200 and 400 meters state championships in the same day. All season long she'd gone unbeaten in every open race. Her fellow competitors hoped that maybe her attention would be diverted and that they could knock Beard off from the top of the 400 meters mountain.

McGinnis was the number one threat in 2006 as she had come close as anyone had to beating Beard during the indoor championships. During the prelims McGinnis ran the best time at 55.04 with Beard coming in at 55.61.

While Beard placed as a runner-up in the 100 and 200 meters races, she maintained her dominance in the 400 meter finals winning at 53.58. McGinnis was second at 54.36. The only senior in the race was Collinwood's Brandy Taylor who placed third (55.57). She competed for the University of Washington during the 2007 season. Stokes placed fourth in the finals, there will be more on her when we discuss the next season.

A group of four juniors placed fifth through eighth. Nicole Klahn (Sylvania Northview), Swanson, who made it back to the finals after qualifying in 2004, Breanne Romeo (Boardman) and Phaedra Swan (Groveport Madison).

None of those four juniors qualified for the finals in 2007. We couldn't find any post high school info on Klahn, Swanson or Swan. Romeo went to Youngstown State and was a runner-up finisher in the 2009 Horizon League 400-meters championships during the indoor and outdoor seasons.

2007

Beard's senior season saw her focus on her bread and butter as she was determined to become the greatest 400 meters runner in the history of Ohio. Beard didn't mess around in the prelims as she recorded the top finish for the first time in that round at 53.29. Graham had the second best time (54.68) but she and the field were not close to where Beard was on that day.

The amazing senior from Euclid crushed the state and stadium record with a time of 51.63. Graham was second at 52.51, which was a career best. Four other runners also hit personal bests including McGinnis, Dayeesha Hollins (Winton Woods), Stokes, now running for Lincoln and junior Jazmunn Ritchie (Sandusky). Also included in the race were sophomore Angelique Lykes (Warrensville Heights) and junior Aricka Rhodes (Thomas Worthington).

Graham, who won her first open state championship in the 200-meters as a freshman, tried to do what Beard attempted in 2006. She won the 100 meters but placed fifth in the 200 meters final. Graham finished her decorated high school career as the 400-meter dash champ in 2008. In college she started out at Michigan before competing for Texas Tech. Graham finished her college career at Tiffin, an NCAA Division II school in her home state of Ohio.

Since then she has coached on the high school and college levels and has been inducted into the African American Legacy's Sports Hall of Fame.

Though McGinnis never captured an outdoor 400-meter state title, she did win the indoor crown in 2008. McGinnis was a runner-up to Graham during the outdoor meet that year. Better days were ahead as she captured the Big Ten indoor 400-meter title in 2010 and the outdoor crown in 2011, while competing at Ohio State. As a senior she even qualified for the NCAA Championship meet.

Stokes, who placed fifth in the finals, went on to focus on her basketball career. She eventually became the Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year while playing for Ohio State. She also became a pro basketball player.

Hollins placed fifth and fourth in the 400 meters finals in 2008 and 2009 respectively. Hollins also became a college basketball star, starting her career at Michigan before playing her final three seasons at Cincinnati.

Ritchie competed for junior college Vincennes from 2009-10.

Lykes won a state title in 2008 after her team switched from Division I to Division II. During her senior season she placed seventh as her teammate junior Daianna Barron won the state title. In 2010, Lykes competed for South Plains and won an overall team national championship on the junior college level. She won a national title as a member of the 1,600-meter relay team that won the junior college championship race.

Rhodes placed sixth in the 2008 state championship final. In college she won the 2011 Big East 1,600-meter relay indoor and outdoor championships, while competing at Cincinnati.