On Friday, Feb. 8, 2013, Council Rock South senior Amanda Benninghoff was recognized at a special news conference for signing a letter of intent to compete in track and field at the University of North Carolina.
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Amanda Benninghoff – University of North Carolina (Track & Field)
Major: Business
Final list of colleges: North Carolina, Wake Forest, University of Pennsylvania, William & Mary, Vanderbilt
Reasons for choosing UNC: “People always told me that you’ll know when you get there, you’ll just get that feeling. I never had that feeling at any other school, and when I went to UNC – my mom told me, ‘Look for your face. Look for someone like you.’ My parents went with me on my visit, and I just saw all the people like me. I saw myself fitting in, I saw myself in the track program and the business school. I just could picture myself being there. It felt right.”
What was the progression that led you to competing in track and field at the collegiate level? “I 
started in ninth grade, which is late for the sport of pole vaulting. I never saw myself doing it in (college) in ninth grade. I just knew I had talent and that I liked doing it. In my sophomore year, I got sixth place at states, and from then, I knew I really wanted to pursue it. The turning point was at the national meet when there were all the college recruiters there, and they swarmed my family. It was the coolest thing that ever happened to me. After that, it was like, ‘I can’t stop.’ It was just natural to keep going. Pole vaulting isn’t like soccer. You don’t have everyone doing it, so it gives you more opportunities.”
Coach Deric Lynch says: “When Tory Worthen, a four-time All-American, graduated, we talked about who’s next. Amanda was a program kid that was around our program. She’s a kid that bought into what we were doing. It’s really the culture change we’ve been looking for over the past couple of years, and she’s another kid that continues it.
“She’s a kid that has inspired our younger kids to buy into what we do. As a coach, you can’t ask for more than that because that’s the best sales pitch for your team. She has a lot more to go, especially after finishing second at nationals. Her goal is a state championship.”
Coach Ken Worthen says: “Amanda is a former gymnast, which kind of evolves naturally into being a pole vaulter. The transition to pole vaulter is so natural, and when her mom called me before her freshman and said, ‘Can you work with her and see what you think?’ – I was willing to. It’s great working with good kids. After the first day, I knew that she was going to be successful. The thing I said to her before she even picked up a pole was – there are three components to being a good pole vaulter. You have to be fast, you have to be strong, and you have to be crazy. I said, ‘If you don’t have all three, you might not be as successful as you think.’ She answered yes to every one of those.
“She instantly picked up the sport and had success each year. In pole vaulting, you have your ups and downs. I think her biggest improvement year was her sophomore year. She just went from being very good to outright great. The progress in pole vaulting is just to get faster and stronger. She’s a good kid, and she has a great support system. Her parents provided everything academically and athletically that you need. If you don’t have that, it makes it difficult.”
About Amanda:
Favorite food: Nutella
Favorite movie: Elf
Favorite music: Country
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