[6] Competing for Archbishop Spalding High School, in 2016 Beard set a Maryland Interscholastic Athletic Association championship record in the 55 metres hurdles, running 7.49 seconds.

This qualified him for the 2023 USA Outdoor Track and Field Championships, where he advanced from the first round but placed 7th in his semifinal and did not make the finals.

[5] Beard significantly improved his times in early 2024, going undefeated throughout the indoor season in the 60 metres hurdles up through the 2024 Millrose Games, running 7.44 seconds to pull an upset win over Daniel Roberts, Trey Cunningham, and Cordell Tinch.

Despite his success at Millrose, Beard only ran 7.65 seconds at the 2024 USA Indoor Track and Field Championships and was the fastest athlete to not qualify for the finals.

[5] At his last meet before the 2024 United States Olympic trials, Beard ran a personal best of 13.10 seconds in the 110 m hurdles, making him the 10th-fastest performer in the world that year.