TicketsAUSTIN, Texas— University of Cincinnati track and field senior Taylor Beard earned First Team All-America honors as the high jumping duo of Beard and sophomore Annika Kinley closed out the NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships for the Bearcats inside Mike A. Myers Stadium on Saturday.
Now a four-time high jump All-American, Beard earned First Team All-America honors for the first time in her career as she placed eighth overall in the high jump. In her second career appearance at the outdoor nationals, she cleared a bar height of 1.84m (6'0.5") to achieve the feat.
"It's a blessing from God," Beard said. Especially coming back from last season injury, to be out here and make the first team is quite special."
After missing all of the 2021-22 season due to injury, Beard has had a bounce-back year. During the indoor season, she earned second-team All-America honors and claimed the AAC indoor high jump title. She carried that momentum into the outdoor season, where she won the AAC outdoor high jump title and capped her season off with outdoor All-America honors.
The Winchester, Va., native joins former Bearcats Loretta Blaut and Erica Hurd as the only women's high jumpers to earn indoor and outdoor All-American honors in the same year in two different seasons. Beard is also the first woman UC track or field athlete to earn First Team honors since Blaut did in 2018.
Kinley's sophomore season comes to a close as she placed 21st overall in the high jump, clearing a bar height of 1.78m (5'10"). This was her first career appearance at the NCAA Outdoor Championships.
The Cincinnati native is the first hometown Bearcat to compete at the outdoor nationals. Kinley had an outstanding season as she was runner-up at the AAC outdoor championships. During the indoor season she recorded a personal best mark of 1.85m (6'0.75"), improving on her freshman year personal best by more than three inches.
Kinley and Beard are the first pair of teammates to compete in the same event at outdoor nationals for the first time since Blaut (9th) and Herd (12th) earned second-team All-American honors in the high jump at the 2016 outdoor championships.
Beard joins Fred Moudani-Likibi as the only Bearcats to earn All-America honors this year. Moudani-Likibi earned First Team All-America honors on the opening day of the NCAA championships as he placed third overall in the men's shot by breaking the UC record with a throw of 20.54m (67'4.75").
Cincinnati has now had 38 different Bearcats earn 75 All-American awards throughout the program's history.
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Now a four-time high jump All-American, Beard earned First Team All-America honors for the first time in her career as she placed eighth overall in the high jump. In her second career appearance at the outdoor nationals, she cleared a bar height of 1.84m (6'0.5") to achieve the feat.
"It's a blessing from God," Beard said. Especially coming back from last season injury, to be out here and make the first team is quite special."
After missing all of the 2021-22 season due to injury, Beard has had a bounce-back year. During the indoor season, she earned second-team All-America honors and claimed the AAC indoor high jump title. She carried that momentum into the outdoor season, where she won the AAC outdoor high jump title and capped her season off with outdoor All-America honors.
The Winchester, Va., native joins former Bearcats Loretta Blaut and Erica Hurd as the only women's high jumpers to earn indoor and outdoor All-American honors in the same year in two different seasons. Beard is also the first woman UC track or field athlete to earn First Team honors since Blaut did in 2018.
Kinley's sophomore season comes to a close as she placed 21st overall in the high jump, clearing a bar height of 1.78m (5'10"). This was her first career appearance at the NCAA Outdoor Championships.
The Cincinnati native is the first hometown Bearcat to compete at the outdoor nationals. Kinley had an outstanding season as she was runner-up at the AAC outdoor championships. During the indoor season she recorded a personal best mark of 1.85m (6'0.75"), improving on her freshman year personal best by more than three inches.
Kinley and Beard are the first pair of teammates to compete in the same event at outdoor nationals for the first time since Blaut (9th) and Herd (12th) earned second-team All-American honors in the high jump at the 2016 outdoor championships.
Beard joins Fred Moudani-Likibi as the only Bearcats to earn All-America honors this year. Moudani-Likibi earned First Team All-America honors on the opening day of the NCAA championships as he placed third overall in the men's shot by breaking the UC record with a throw of 20.54m (67'4.75").
Cincinnati has now had 38 different Bearcats earn 75 All-American awards throughout the program's history.
// FOLLOW THE BEARCATS
For all the latest information on Cincinnati Track and Field/Cross Country, please visit GoBEARCATS.com. and follow @GoBearcatsTFXC on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook