ALBUQUERQUE, New Mexico—Everyone in the Southland Conference and the area have known how good Zachaeus Beard is.

On the big stage, he proved just that to the entire nation.

Beard, a senior from Fellowship, advanced to the finals with a 6.59 to place fifth out of 17 competitors in the 60-meter dash and second in his heat to qualify for finals coming out of lane No. 7.

He finished just ahead of former SLC rival J.T. Smith, who used to race at Texas A&M-Commerce, who also ran a 6.59 to finish sixth.

In the finals, he ran an even faster time, clocking a 6.58 to finish sixth in the race, finishing just ahead of Smith once again.

In a stacked race, Noah Lyles ran an incredible 6.43 to take the top spot, finishing just ahead of Christian Coleman's 6.44.

Ronnie Baker came in third in both the prelims and the finals and Emmanuel Wells finished fourth.

Former NSU athlete Jasmyn Steels participated in the women's long jump, finishing ninth with a distance of 20-6.25, narrowly missing out on the finals, as the top eight advanced.

The NSU track and field teams travel to Birmingham, Alabama, for the SLC Indoor Championships, starting Feb. 25, before Beard and the rest of the NSU athletes begin the outdoor season March 9 in Lake Charles.