NHS track and field wins eight medals at Big 8 Conference meet

Drew Beachler won gold in the long jump, and the Lady Tigers finished runner-up as a team, to highlight Nevada High School’s day at the Big 8 Conference track and field meet Wednesday in Monett.

Nevada left with medals in eight events total, led by sophomore long-jumper Beachler, whose leap of 6.53 meters (or 21 feet, 5 inches) earned him a first-place medal and first-team all-conference honors.

Beachler’s brother, senior Dylan Beachler, placed second in the pole vault by clearing 3.65 meters (just under 12 feet) — while junior Jerimia Collins’s throw of 39.83 meters (130.7 feet) earned him third place in the discus to round out the boys’ medal-winning performances.

The Lady Tigers took home two silver medals and three bronze to place second overall.

Junior Claire Pritchett failed to win in the shot put for the first time this season, despite a throw of 11.77 meters (38 feet, 7.5 inches), which was still good enough for second place. Cassville’s Kyren Postlewait edged her out with a toss of 12.04 meters (39 feet, 6 inches).

Senior Tylin Heathman earned the other silver medal for NHS after she crossed the finish line in the 300-meter hurdles in 49.04 seconds.

Freshman Clara Swearingen was Nevada’s lone competitor to win two medals, one for third place in the 400-meter dash (1:03) and the other as part of the 4x400-meter relay team along with Bailey Ast, Maddy Majors, and Brooklyn Kutina-Smith that finished less than a second behind Logan-Rogersville for third (4:25).

Junior Lilly Hart also scored a bronze medal in the triple jump with a measurement of 10.74 meters (35 feet, 2.75 inches).

Next up for Nevada track and field: the Class 4 District 6 meet next Saturday in Carl Junction.