Justice Beard Will Join Penn State for 2027 Season
The three-time NCAA Division II champion will compete as a graduate student at Penn State starting in the fall of 2027.
Updated on Sept. 30, 2026 in Swimming
Justice Beard, a senior at the University of Missouri-St. Louis, has announced her transfer to Pennsylvania State University. She will pursue a master's degree while competing during the 2027-2028 academic year.
Why it matters
Beard brings championship pedigree to a Penn State program looking to improve its standing after a 13th-place finish at the 2026 Big Ten Championships.
Beard holds personal bests of 4:48.09 in the 500 free, 9:45.71 in the 1000 free, and 16:24.18 in the 1650 free. For context, Morgan Moore placed 13th in the 1650 free at the 2026 Big Ten Championships with a time of 16:30.44.
The players
Justice Beard
She is a decorated swimmer who won three NCAA Division II titles while attending the University of Missouri-St. Louis.
Pennsylvania State University
This is a major public research university in Pennsylvania that competes in the Big Ten Conference.
University of Missouri-St. Louis
This is a public research university where Beard completed her undergraduate athletic career.
Morgan Moore
She is a swimmer for the Penn State team who finished 13th in the 1650 free at the 2026 Big Ten Championships.
The details
Beard earned top-eight finishes in three events in the spring of 2025 before securing three national titles in the spring of 2026. She joins a Penn State roster that finished 13th at the 2026 Big Ten Championships with 216 total points.
Timeline
Spring 2025: Beard earned three top-eight finishes in championship events.
Spring 2026: Beard won three NCAA Division II titles.
2026: Penn State finished 13th at the Big Ten Championships.
Fall 2027: Beard will begin her graduate swimming season at Penn State.
Season Trajectory
This acquisition signals a strategic effort by Penn State to bolster its distance swimming group to climb the Big Ten standings. By adding a three-time champion, the program aims to close the gap on conference rivals that outpaced them in the 2026 season.
Beard's 16:24.18 personal best in the 1650 free is significantly faster than the 16:30.44 mark posted by Penn State's top finisher in that event at the 2026 conference meet. This addition immediately improves the team's scoring potential in long-distance freestyle events.
The takeaway
Graduate transfers are increasingly shaping the landscape of collegiate swimming by providing teams with immediate veteran talent. Student-athletes looking to balance high-level competition with advanced education should evaluate programs that offer both specialized graduate degrees and competitive swimming paths.
Further reading
For more on collegiate athletic developments in the state, visit Pennsylvania Swimming.
Source note: This article includes information reported by SwimSwam.
