Kimberly Beard, a rising senior at King’s, won the girls hammer throw at the Nike Outdoor National Track & Field Championships in Eugene, Oregon on June 22, 2025. (Photo courtesy Donna Beard)

Kimberly Beard is not a proponent of “last throw, best throw,” a self-explanatory saying in the track & field throws community.

The rising senior at King’s High School tends to throw better in her earlier attempts, when her adrenaline is higher. That was the case at Nike Outdoor Nationals in Eugene, Ore. on June 22, when Beard’s second attempt in the girls hammer throw championship set the lead mark at 57.58 meters (188 feet, 11 inches).

So by the time Beard, a Mukilteo resident, stepped up for her sixth and final attempt, the national championship was all but locked up. With nothing to lose, she stepped into the circle and — contrary to her own tendencies — wound up saving her best for last.

With a 59.76m (196-00) throw, Beard not only strengthened her lead to lock up the title, but set a personal record in the process. After finishing second a year prior by fewer than three feet, Beard came back to earn the crown, clearing second-place Burklie Burton from Utah (56.2m, 184-04) by nearly 12 feet.

Kimberly Beard, a rising senior at King’s, stands next to the results board after winning the girls hammer throw at the Nike Outdoor National Track & Field Championships in Eugene, Oregon on June 22, 2025. (Photo courtesy Donna Beard)

“I was really trying to keep all the excitement and everything up so I could keep that adrenaline pumping,” Beard said. “Going into the last round, I was like, ‘Oh, I’m on today. There’s nothing to lose. Just let it all out.’”

Just days before the high school championship, Beard finished second in the U-20 women’s championship with a throw of 57.69m (190-02), so she felt even more motivated to get past 190 feet on her last attempt. Competing in the same ring against many of the same competitors added a sense of familiarity and comfort which helped to combat nerves.

Additionally, the presence of Burton helped Beard stay motivated. With Burton’s personal record at 192-04, there was always a chance she could pop a throw in that range and overtake Beard’s initial lead at 188-11, so Beard couldn’t afford to ease up at any point.

Despite winning the national championship, Beard isn’t resting on her laurels. She has two meets coming up this month, including the National Junior Olympic championships on July 21. To prepare, Beard is throwing five to six times a week and lifting weights four times a week, often doing both in the same day.

Aside from placing as high as she can and working on her technical cues, Beard has her eyes set on a new milestone: eclipsing 200 feet.

“I already PR’d by 10 feet, so I’m not going to be upset if I don’t hit 200,” Beard said. “But that would be really, really fun, and I think it’s really doable.”

Keira Isabella Tupua, a rising senior at Lake Stevens, places second in the girls discus Emerging Elite division at the Nike Outdoor National Track & Field Championships in Eugene, Oregon on June 20, 2025. (Photo courtesy Donna Beard)

Beard was not the only local athlete to place high at Nike Nationals, as Lake Stevens’ Keira Isabelle Tupua finished second in the Emerging Elite discus throw at 43.11m (141-05).

After fouling her first attempt, Tupua was at risk of dropping out at the preliminary stage sitting at 40.67m (133-05) on her second attempt. With other throwers starting to leapfrog her in the standings and push her down the board, she needed a great third attempt to stay in the fight.

“As I was going in the ring and, you know, mentally preparing myself, I just had to throw it and go at it,” Tupua said.

As soon as she saw the discus in the air, she knew it would be good enough to move her up the board. The throw vaulted her into second, and would remain her best attempt by the end of the event.

Tupua entered the day with the seventh-highest seed entry in the Emerging Elite field, but she did not let that hold her back in the circle.

“I’m a very competitive athlete,” Tupua said. “I’ve played three sports almost my entire life, and I’m not just gonna back down from anybody that throws farther and is a lot stronger. I’m going to take that competition and respect everyone, and just give it my best. So I think that’s what really helped me, is that I don’t really like losing. I hate losing.”

Also a basketball and soccer player, Tupua qualified for the Junior Olympic track & field regionals, but is focusing more on basketball this summer instead. She plays with the Northwest Blazers and is traveling all over the country for tournaments.

In the meantime, she’s spending her mornings at basketball training, afternoons working out and training for track, then resting at night. In her eyes, her experiences in each sport has helped her in the other two.

“I think my basketball helps a lot with track,” Tupua said. “When you’re in the ring and you’re pivoting off your feet, same way you would in basketball. And when I did soccer, soccer helped with all three. It kept me in shape, and you got to be light on your feet and pretty quick in the ring, so they all help.”

Gallery

Keira Isabella Tupua, a rising senior at Lake Stevens, places second in the girls discus Emerging Elite division at the Nike Outdoor National Track & Field Championships in Eugene, Oregon on June 20, 2025. (Photo courtesy Donna Beard)

Kimberly Beard, a rising senior at King’s, stands next to the results board after winning the girls hammer throw at the Nike Outdoor National Track & Field Championships in Eugene, Oregon on June 22, 2025. (Photo courtesy Donna Beard)

In 1975, Steve Prefontaine was set to be the next great track star, having already set several world records. But, he tragically died in a car accident at just 24 years old. Now, he is honored by being the namesake of the Prefontaine Classic, one of the most well-known track and field events in the United States that’s hosted his alma mater, the University of Oregon. 

The 2025 Prefontaine classic is on July 5, and here’s three things to know about Steve Prefontaine. 

The Steve Prefontaine Was The First Nike Athlete

When Nike was founded in 1971, Steve Prefontaine was at the height of this career. In 1973, he became the first athlete signed by Nike to wear their signature shoe, the Swoosh. Attending Oregon, Prefontaine had unique exposure to the brand, even when it was Blue Ribbon Sports. Phil Knight, the company’s founder also attended the University of Oregon, making Prefontaine the perfect candidate to be Knight’s first signature athlete.

A Record Breaker At Every Level

Every level Steve Prefontaine ran at, he broke records. He’s said to have ran like he was dying every time he competed, leaving his all on the track every time he ran. At the time of his death, he held every American record from 2,000 meters to 10,000 meters. 

Pre’s Personal Bests

1500 – 3:38.1 (1973) 

Mile – 3:54.6 (1973)

2000 – 5:01.4 (1975)

2 miles – 8:18.29 (1974)

5000 – 13:21.87 (1974)

10000 – 27:43.6 (1974)

A Loyal Duck

Prefontaine grew up in the Eugene area, in the town of Coos Bay. He ran for the University of Oregon and then continued to train at Hayward Field with the Oregon Track Club until his death. After college, he lived in Eugene, becoming friends with Phil Knight and several other Blue Ribbon Sports founders. 

He was heavily involved in local events, and spoke at a banquet about the impact cross country had on his life. He won almost every race he competed in, only knowing full speed. As a Duck, he won seven national titles, four in track, three in cross country, setting several records along the way. 

Now, the Diamond League Track event held in Eugene is named in his honor, the Prefontaine Classic. 

Don’t Miss A Second Of The 2025 Diamond League

This year, the Diamond League is streaming live on FloTrack and the FloSports app, and FloTrack is giving fans more Diamond League access than ever before. For the first time ever, the Diamond League is streaming to fans all the feeds, not just the traditional world feed.

Fans will have uninterrupted coverage for every throw, leap and run during the meets as well as the traditional broadcast.

Where To Watch Diamond League?

The Wanda Diamond League will be broadcast on FloTrack and the FloSports app starting with the 2025 season. 

FloTrack Is The Streaming Home For Many Track And Field Meets Each Year

Don’t miss all the track and field season action streaming on FloTrack. Check out the FloTrack schedule for more events.

FloTrack Archived Footage

Video footage from each event will be archived and stored in a video library for FloTrack subscribers to watch for the duration of their subscriptions.

Join the Conversation on Social

Follow us on Twitter @FloTrack.

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While volunteering in the infusion rooms at the Breast Cancer Research Center during her freshman year, computational biology junior Nicole Wu realized many cancer patients faced the same problem: a lack of support upon returning home. Shortly after, she began working on her start-up app, Panacea, to make life and responsibilities easier for cancer patients at home.

Hospitals typically give cancer patients a binder with many resources inside when they leave; however, cancer survivor Leslie Foxworth said finding and applying these resources can be tedious and frustrating. Wu said Panacea personalizes fitness classes, financial resources and cancer-related communities to the patient depending on their condition and location, and uses conversational AI to help patients easily find the resources they need. 

“(The app) provides you resources that can help you through those really dark times without you having to look at your doctor or be in a scary office,” Foxworth said. “It’s care outside the clinic walls in the middle of the night when we need it. I wish I had something like this at the newly diagnosed phase.”

Wu began thinking about Panacea when she joined the Social Entrepreneurship Learning Lab in her freshman year, where she refined her business idea. Since then, she participated in the Sustainability Education Enterprise Development Program and the Kendra Scott Women’s Entrepreneurial Leadership Institute as a 2025 founder, and enrolled in Capital Factory, a class where she better understood the pitching process. Through these UT-affiliated organizations, Wu participated in four pitch competitions and raised over $16,000 to fund her company. 

“Students will take a year or two to get a venture off the ground, but she did this pretty quickly, and it was because she is very dedicated and organized in her time,” said Madison Khamooshi, the Global Sustainability Leadership Institute senior program manager.

With her team, Wu works closely with 30 breast cancer patients at the Breast Cancer Research Center. They are working to improve the app’s conversational AI and create a resource hub so all resources remain centralized, ensuring the app recommends the right materials and strengthens the communication between the patient and doctor. 

“I’ve seen (Wu) learn a lot more about the cancer community and get excited about what she can do to be a solution specialist for cancer survivors, instead of just feeling like, ‘Man, that’s really sad. I wish I could do something about it,’” Foxworth said. “Now it’s ‘Man that’s really sad, I know I can do something about this. Let’s go.’”

This summer, Wu and her team sent a research proposal to the UT Institutional Review Board, and Wu said that by the end of the summer, she and her research team hope to propose their second study and publish it at the end of the year. Next year, she said she hopes to partner with healthcare professionals to begin customizing the app for their needs.

State champion pole vaulter Jacelyn Neighbors of Royse City is transferring to the University of Oklahoma after vaulting one season for Nebraska.

“I’m so excited to announce that I’ve decided to continue vaulting at the University of Oklahoma for my remaining eligibility,” Neighbors wrote on her Facebook page. “Couldn’t have done it without the incredible support of my family. Giving all glory to God.”

Neighbors, who won the girls Class 6A pole vault title in 2024 as a Royse City senior, vaulted during the indoor and outdoor seasons as a freshman at Nebraska.

Neighbors placed 10th at the Big  Ten Outdoor Track and Field Championships this spring at Eugene, Oregon. She cleared 13 feet, 2 3/4 inches.

She also competed in the NCAA West meet at College Station which was a qualifier for the NCAA outdoor championships. She cleared 13-8 1/4. Eleven vaulters cleared 14-6 to advance to the NCAA meet. Neighbors did not advance.

This past winter she placed 13th at the Big Ten indoor championships in Indiana, clearing 13-7 3/4.

Neighbors cleared 14 feet in the pole vault for the first time this season. 

She cleared 14 feet, 1/2 inch to finish first at the 2025 Nebraska Tune-Up indoor meet in Lincoln. She was then named the Big Ten Women’s Track and Field Freshman of the Week.

She also cleared a personal-best 14-2 to place first at an outdoor meet this spring at Kansas State.

Neighbors was a four-time state qualifier in high school in the pole vault for the Royse City Lady Bulldogs. She won the state title in 2024 after clearing 13-0 on her third attempt.

Neighbors placed fifth in the Class 6A pole vault in 2023, clearing 12-6. She also cleared 12-6 to finish third in Class 5A at the state meet in 2022 and cleared 12-0 to place fifth in 5A at state in 2021 as a freshman. 

The Oklahoma women placed sixth in the team standings at the Southeastern Conference outdoor track and field championships this spring in Kentucky. OU’s Olivia Lueking, who was a senior, cleared 14-3 1/2 to win the SEC women’s outdoor pole vault title and 14-9 1/2 to win the SEC indoor championship.

Jacelyn’s older brother Tyson Neighbors, who played football and baseball for the Royse City Bulldogs, pitched three seasons as a relief pitcher at Kansas State, earning all-conference, all-region and all-America honors. He went 7-3 in three seasons with a 3.01 earned run average at Kansas State, striking out 160 batters in 95 2/3 innings.

Tyson was selected in the fourth round by the San Diego Padres in the 2024 Major League Baseball draft.

Tyson was promoted by the Padres from the Fort Wayne TinCaps in the High-A minor league to the San Antonio Missions in the Double-A Texas League. He compiled a stellar 1.19 ERA with the TinCaps with 39 strikeouts in 22 2/3 innings.

Tyson has pitched in seven games this season for the Missions, giving up  seven hits, five walks and six earned runs in 10 innings. He’s struck out 13.  Opposing hitters are batting only .194 against him.

Jacelyn’s younger sister Tierany cleared 13-1 to win the Class 3A girls pole vault for Mineola in May. Neighbors set a new Class 3A state meet record, breaking the previous mark of 13-0 set in 2017 by Chloe Wall of Farmersville.

Tierany placed third for Royse City in the pole vault at the District 10-6A meet in 2024, placing behind her sister Jacelyn Neighbors and Rockwall-Heath vaulter Brooklyn Nalley. 

Youngest brother Kipton Neighbors was a freshman football player last fall at Mineola. Tipton was 17-of-26 passing for 333 yards and six touchdowns, rushed for 803 yards and seven TDs on 104 carries and caught three passes for 28 yards.

The UW Oshkosh men’s and women’s track and field and cross country teams had seven athletes selected to the College Sports Communicators 2025 Academic All-District squads on June 25.

Cameron Cullen, Joey Kean and Zach Zirgibel represented the men’s side while Bobbi Blahnik, Megan Hunt, Cyna Madigan and Brenna Masloroff were honored on the women’s teams. Zirgibel, Madigan and Masloroff each collected the third academic all-district honor of their careers. Hunt, Madigan and Masloroff all moved on to academic All-America voting.

Cullen is a rehabilitation science major with a 3.67 cumulative grade-point average. A three-season student-athlete, he finished 36th at the NCAA Division III North Region cross country championship in November before ranking top 50 in the region in both the indoor 3,000-meter steeplechase and the outdoor 5,000-meter run.
 
Kean owns a 3.96 cumulative GPA as a supply chain management and economics major. He was the 11th-ranked runner in the indoor 60-meter dash in the region and the 22nd-fastest in the nation this season.
 
A biomedical science major, Zirgibel also has a cumulative GPA of 3.96. The pole vaulter was ninth in the region during the indoor season and third during the outdoor season while sitting 31st and 17th nationally during the respective seasons. He earned All-America Second Team honors from the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Association (USTFCCCA) with a 14th place height of 4.85 meters at the outdoor championship.
 
Blahnik is an environmental studies major with a 3.71 cumulative GPA. She posted top 50 regional rankings during the indoor season in the weight throw (13th) and shot put (46th). Outdoors, she was 10th in the region and 31st in Division III in the hammer throw.
 
Hunt has a 3.74 cumulative GPA as a kinesiology major. A multi-event student-athlete, she recorded top regional rankings in the indoor long jump, pentathlon, and outdoor long jump. Her indoor long jump and pentathlon marks of 5.92 meters and 3,596 points were second and fifth in the nation respectively.

Hunt earned three All-America First Team honors and an All-America Second Team medal across the pair of national championship events this season: indoor long jump (third place, 5.92 meters), pentathlon (sixth, 3,649 points), outdoor long jump (sixth, 5.81 meters), heptathlon (15th, 4,491 points). During the indoor season, she won both the conference long jump and pentathlon titles, set the program’s long jump record at 5.92 meters and was named the Kwik Trip Field Performer of the Meet.
 
Madigan is pursuing her master’s degree in business administration after finishing her undergraduate degree with a 3.73 cumulative GPA. She ranked second in the region and 22nd in the nation in the outdoor 800-meter run and added additional top five regional placements in the indoor 800-meter run, indoor 4×400-meter relay, and outdoor 4×400-meter relay. Madigan was named a second team All-American with a 10th-place finish of 2:11.64 in the outdoor 800-meter run while winning the conference title in the event for the second time in three seasons. She was a member of the outdoor 4×400-meter relay team that set the program record at 3:46.67 on May 14.
 
Masloroff is an elementary and special education major with a 3.77 cumulative GPA. The outdoor conference performer of the meet and the USTFCCCA North Region Field Athlete of the Year ranked second in the nation in the outdoor hammer throw, eight in both the indoor weight throw and outdoor discus throw, and 10th in the indoor shot put. She finished the indoor national championship with a third-place performance in the weight throw (18.86 meters) and an 11th-place position in the shot put (13.53 meters). During the outdoor national championship, she was the runner-up in both the shot put (14.73 meters) and the hammer throw (59.03 meters) after winning the conference’s hammer throw title with a mark of 59.34 meters.
 

The men’s track & field team finished second at the NCAA Division III Indoor Championship and fifth at the outdoor championship while the women’s team took 13th indoors and 12th outdoors.