Photo Courtesy of Nash Christian

Sam Beatty claims the top spot on our countdown of the top sports stories at Central College this past school year, as he joined an elite club for the Dutch men’s track and field team. 

At the NCAA Division III Indoor Track and Field Championships on Saturday, March 11th, Beatty won the National Title in the men’s high jump. The senior was one of just two competitors that clear the bar at 6 feet, 9 inches after eight athletes bowed out at that height. At 6 feet, 10.25 inches, Beatty and Samuel Hetrick of Penn State University – Behrend both missed all three of their attempts, but the Central senior won via tie-breaker, as Hetrick had one more miss at lower bars. Beatty became just the third men’s high jumper at Central to secure the indoor National Title in the event, joining Ethan Miller in 2011 and Cale Van Genderen in 2005. 

Overall, Beatty’s indoor National Title was the eighth in Central men’s track and field program history.