Turner Beachy, 17, practices his lassoing while riding, Ellie, a family friend’s horse that Beachy is training, at his friend’s farm in Ottertail, Minn. (Alex Kormann/The Minnesota Star Tribune)

Turner Beachy is scared of only one thing.

It’s certainly not launching himself through the air while pole vaulting. In fact, he shuts his eyes when he’s airborne. That keeps his gaze from darting around to the clouds, the trees, the horizon.

“I see myself better in my head with my eyes closed,” Beachy said. “When I see my surroundings, I tend not to focus.”

On this day, a hazy June morning in Staples, Beachy needed to focus. The pursuit was pole vaulting, and he was fine-tuning technique with Staples-Motley vaulting coach Marly Simmons before the track and field state meet.

At another time of year he’d have been learning a wrestling move. Or studying football footwork.

Beachy is a self-described adrenaline junkie, and he acknowledges he deals with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. He tackles both through sports, and has found state-championship-level success along the way. But the sport Beachy hopes to pursue long-term isn’t one with a Minnesota State High School League medal as a reward. Rather, he’s collecting belt buckles.

Turner Beachy wants to be a rodeo cowboy in college.

For more on Beachy, click here to read this story on startribune.com.