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StumbleUNLV thrower Amanda Bingson alone in school record book
UNLV track and field thrower Amanda Bingson swings through the first rotation of her throw during practice Tuesday. Bingson, a sophomore, recently set a new UNLV hammer throw record of 183 feet, 4 inches.
Thursday, April 1, 2010 | 2:07 a.m.
Amanda Bingson had been practicing the hammer throw for only about three months when she competed in her first meet for the UNLV track and field team.
She walked out toward the throwing circle and immediately became intimidated. The meet featured accomplished throwers from schools such as USC, UCLA and Arizona State, and the then-freshman Bingson feared she would overmatched.
Bingson also noticed the other throwers had a significantly bigger build than her compact, 5-foot-7, 200-pound frame.
"I'm not a small girl, but in comparison to those other girls, I was," Binson said. "They were like 6-foot-4 and beastly."
Bingson, however, wouldn't be overwhelmed for long.
By the end of her freshman year she had broken the school record with a throw of 181 feet, 1 inch, placing fifth in the Mountain West Conference championships and earning a berth in the NCAA West Regionals.
The mark was a personal best by more than 30 feet and the first time a UNLV athlete had cleared the 180-foot mark. She broke Olivia Raya's record of 174-9.
"It was a huge surprise to me," she said of the success. "But I am a very competitive person. I didn't want to show up and just be mediocre. I've been playing sports my whole life and enjoy the competition. And I compete to win."
Now a sophomore, Bingson eclipsed her record two weeks ago during a meet at USC with a throw of 183-4.
Coaches believe she could clear the 200-foot mark by the time her college career ends, setting a school record that would be very difficult to surpass. Top distances nationally are more than 230 feet.
"She definitely surprised a lot of us with her success so early," UNLV throwing coach Greg Watson said. "She blew of all my goals for her out of the water."
She was primarily a discus thrower during her four years at Silverado High, winning four Sunrise Regional and two state discus titles.
But when she joined the team at UNLV, coaches thought her size was better suited for the hammer throw.
"She wasn't going to compete in the NCAAs as a discus thrower. She was too short," Watson said.
The intricacies of the hammer throw — spinning around four or five times with a nearly 9-pound hammer — took several long practices for Bingson to become comfortable with.
There were days of frustration and doubt mixed in with small signs of improvement. But Bingson's competitive drive proved to be the difference.
"She doesn't like to lose," UNLV coach Yvonne Scott said. "She takes every competition and practice so seriously."
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wow....quite an encouraging story....however I was a tad shocked when Ms. Bingson called the other young women 'beastly'. I'm 6'1" and Ms. Bingson outweighs me by quite a bit. I've done some runway, a thousand years ago(LOL), but never thought of myself as being beastly. That kind of judgment is just the same kind of thing the much smaller girls would say of her. It's time not to describe a fear of success in terms of either another ones perceived deficits, or advantages from the judgment seat your fear. I'm sure that remark will not endear her as a person, not a competitor, to those women she will be seeing in matches for years to come. Nonetheless congratulations.
I think you misread the quote. I think she means that the other competitors were taller and weighed more (hence beastly) which is a key to success in an event such as the hammer throw. Added weight will allow for more momentum and force to throw the hammer farther.