Beard seeks title

Senior's feisty playing leads Dukes

Last year, after earning the Colonial Athletic Association's Defensive Player of the Year award, senior Jessica Beard said she was honored for the recognition, but the defender and co-captain's coach, Kellie Young, said it's a given Beard will get it again this season.

Beard earned the honor through her conference play of 25 caused turnovers, which was 10th in the CAA, along with 2 goals, 14 ground balls and 12 draw controls. However, it was her leadership that quickly was noted as she led the defensive squad to allowing an average of only 8.5 goals a game, the second lowest in the CAA. The team also was ranked 18th nationally in scoring defense.

"She is, without a doubt, one of the best defenders in the country," Young said of her 2003 Second Team All South Region All-American defender. "She is one of the most determined players in bringing us to the Final Four."

With a desire to try something other than soccer or basketball, Beard chose to take up lacrosse in the fourth grade, and developed a passion for the sport that has continued into college.

The native of Davidsonville, Md., led her South River High School team to two regional championships and was named an All-American. She also was named to the Baltimore Sun-All County and Annapolis Capital All-County Teams as a senior. She participated in the National School Girls Tournament in both 1998 and 1999. In 1999, her team won the national championship.

"She's such a feisty, intense defender, always going 100 percent and probably one of the best markup defenders in Division I lacrosse," senior attacker Jesse Collins said about her teammate.

However, earning her starting spot hasn't always been easy, as each year she has been plagued with injuries. In the fall of 2002, Beard suffered back problem — one of her greatest injuries — and missed workouts.

This past fall was no different, as she battled shin splints that eventually became a stress fracture. After three months of rehabilitation, she is back to lead the defense in play and will match up on some of the nation's top attackers.

"I have spent almost every day in the training room before and after practice," Beard said. "My team is the most important part of my life on and off the field. I want to leave knowing I had an impact on their lives and that I taught them something in both of those aspects."

Her strengths go beyond her athleticism and great intensity and directly to her leadership abilities.

According to Young, it seems that every individual goal she has correlates with assisting the team in some aspect.

"She brings intensity to everything she does, and her goals are so far beyond the individual accomplishments," Young said. "She just exudes a winning mentality."

Beard's accomplishments also were recognized, as she was a First Team All-Conference selection, as well as being named to the conference all-tournament team. Following her conference play, she was recognized as a member of the All-State team by fellow in-state coaches.

"I have played and started with [Beard] the past four years," senior co-captain Gail Decker said. "She displays the most enthusiasm, passion and heart, not only for the game of lacrosse, but for the JMU family."

Decker characterized Beard as a fearless leader who will use both her humor and energy to motivate other teammates when it is needed.

"One of the truest signs that someone is a great leader is when the people that are supposed to be following her, actually follow not because she is their 'captain,' but because she has inspired them and they believe in her. And, without a doubt, Jess Beard has achieved this."

Off the field, Beard continually has been just as impressive, as she was honored with the Conference Commissioners Academic Award in both 2002 and '03.

Beard, a school of media arts and design major with a concentration in digital video and a minor in human resources development, hopes to go into the field of advertising and marketing, specifically in sports promotion.