7/6/2015 12:00:00 AM | Women's Track & Field
ESPN The Magazine's "Body Issue" Webpage
-Amanda Bingson's Page
-Bryce Harper's Page (shot at Earl E. Wilson Stadium)
LAS VEGAS (UNLVRebels.com) - UNLV track & field alumna Amanda Bingson shed her customary competition uniform for the ESPN The Magazine's annual "Body Issue." Bingson, a Las Vegas native and Silverado High School graduate, competed for the Rebels from 2009-12 and won three consecutive hammer throw titles at the Mountain West Outdoor Championships from 2010-12. She has since competed in the 2012 London Olympics, won a pair of national titles in the hammer and rewritten the American record book twice with the longest throw.
The "Body Issue" debuted in 2009, and this year's magazine features Aly Krieger, who just helped the U.S. Women's National Team win the 2015 FIFA Women's World Cup, as well as Kevin Love (NBA's Cleveland Cavaliers), Tyler Seguin (NHL's Dallas Stars), Odell Beckham, Jr. (NFL's New York Giants), DeAndre Jordan (NBA's Dallas Mavericks), Aly Raisman (USA gymnastics two-time Olympic gold medalist), Natalie Coughlin (USA swimming 12-time Olympic gold medalist) and many more.
Included in this year's release is local product and Washington Nationals' slugger Bryce Harper, who conducted his photo shoot at UNLV baseball's own Earl E. Wilson Stadium. Harper played one year under Rebel skipper Tim Chambers during the 2010 campaign at the College of Southern Nevada.
Following her senior campaign, Bingson finished second at the 2012 U.S. Olympic Trials and in turn earned a spot on Team USA at the London Olympics. One year later in Des Moines, Iowa, she won the first of two national titles behind successive throws, including one of 248-5 (74.92m), which not only reset the Drake Stadium record, but also placed her name atop the American record book. In 2014, she successfully defended her title in Sacramento, Calif., that -- once again -- shattered a stadium mark.
Most recently, Bingson took third at the 2015 USATF Outdoor Championships that were held last month in Eugene, Ore. By virtue of her finish, she will represent the United States in August at the IAAF World Championships in Beijing.
When asked how posing for the "Body Issue" came about, Bingson said, "My public relations team -- Ella Bee Media Group -- asked me if I would be interested. I told them that if (ESPN) asked I would think about it. Two days later they told me ESPN was interested. My first thought was `what the?' and then `why not?'. I'm a hammer thrower and I'm in the 200-plus pound club. I'm not what they usually shoot for, but then I was like `why not?' and `when is the next time this is going to come up?'. Maybe people will actually know what the hammer throw is when they ask me what I do!"
