A young girl who has been a hard-working athlete with an unmatched passion and drive for track, Kat Beachler becomes one of the top track stars in the nation.

Beachler is currently a junior at MN, and she has finished her sophomore year with a more than successful track season. With hours of continuous training, Beachler made it to nationals in the summer of 2022.

“I practiced at least four to six days a week and each practice was about an hour and a half to two hours. My training routine during the summer is more throwing and right now I lift four days a week,” Beachler said.

This determination and strength doesn’t just happen overnight. Beachler entered the track world at a very young age, and she fell in love with it.

“My mom threw when she was younger, so she started with me when I was about three, and ever since then I’ve realized it’s something I want to go far in and progress in,” Beachler said.

As her mom, Lisa Charles plays a double role as both a coach and a parent, Beachler has a lot of support and motivation.

“As a parent, I want to see her give herself some grace. As a coach I want Kat to keep setting the bar high. Keep working towards continuous improvement,” Charles said.

As an athlete, Beachler recognizes that the mental game is as important as the physical, especially at nationals. She continues to push both herself and the obstacles that come her way.

“I just try telling myself that this is my opportunity to beat the seniors and all the upperclassmen. It’s really hard to get over the nerves, but you just have to have fun and live in the moment,” Beachler said.

Keeping these lessons in mind, Beachler has achieved great feats as she continues to push herself and work harder every day. Always being a talented athlete, Beachler placed in four different events.

“I’ve been going to nationals since I was eight, so it prepared me for high school state track, and it’s honestly very rewarding seeing yourself do good at nationals,” Beachler said.

This success of Beachler comes with a great support system behind her. Senior Katie Chambers pushes Beachler to do her best with friendly competition and motivation.

“[Chambers] really pushes me in the weight room. She always wants to do the weights I’m doing, which makes me want to go heavier, and it really just helps me push myself,” Beachler said.

Beachler’s work ethic and commitment to something she is passionate about set an example for her teammates as well. She’s no doubt an asset to the team.

“She is very humble about her achievements. I admire how well she works with her mom being her coach and how she is always asking for her input on things. She is able to [do] things more athletically than anyone I know. Every year, we work harder and laugh more,” Chambers said.

With the skill and achievements Beachler has worked up to, she sees a bright future for herself. The track will continue to be a part of her throughout college and more.

“It felt rewarding placing at nationals but I’m really hard on myself so I still am driving to do even better next year. I would love to go to the Olympics because I’ve worked so hard all my life in sports. I really want to go to UNL or BYU, those are my top two schools,” Beachler said.

As Beachler becomes the new and upcoming track star, she takes the lessons she learns through the track with her in every opportunity and experience she gets.

“Track really teaches me how to work hard and dedicate myself to everything that I do. The biggest thing that has stuck with me is that competing and putting in the work isn’t worth it if you’re not having fun,” Beachler said.