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2007: Earned co-Newcomer of the Year honors...set Freshman Class and Academy records in both the indoor and outdoor pole vault...NCAA regional qualifier...broke Academy record twice during the outdoor season...cleared a career-best 12'9½" at the Wyoming Invitational to break own record and win the event...won the event at the Military Classic with a then-record 12'5¾"...earned Field Event Athlete of the Week honors twice during the outdoor season...rewrote the indoor pole vault record twice at the Air Force Open...set a mark of 12'0¾", before winning the event with a mark of 12'4¾"...won two Field Event Athlete of the Week honors...also won the pole vault at the Air Force All-Comers Meet, Rob Upton Invitational and the Air Force Twilight Invitational.
HIGH SCHOOL: State champion in the pole vault at the 2006 Ohio state indoor championships...tied for the state indoor record at 12'0"...named Outdoor Conference Field Athlete of the Year as a senior... picked up a third-place finish in the outdoor state meet...school record holder in the pole vault (12'2"), 100-meter hurdles (15.10) and 300-meter hurdles (47.6)...three-time first-team all-city honoree in the pole vault...holds pole vault records at the conference, district, city and regional levels...four-time academic all-state selection...earned numerous conference, district and regional records in the pole vault...elected as president of the French Club and French National Honors Society...also served as vice-president of the student government...was the chair of multiple committees as a member of the National Honor Society...class salutatorian...graduated with honors.
PERSONAL: Daughter of Peter and Lisa Beerse...nickname is Mel...oldest of seven children...has four brothers, Matt (18), Mark (16), Mitchell (12) and Michael (5)...also has two sisters, Megan (14) and Molly (10)...majoring in biology, while earning a minor in French...hopes to work in the medical field after graduation...served as Element NCO and Academy Assembly NCO...hobbies include drawing, painting, art, hiking, rock climbing and camping...spent eight years as a competitive gymnast, "so I've been upside-down my entire life".
