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If not for a little prodding by her head coach, Bayside triple and long jumper, Amanda Beard may have never considered the events. 

“When I first started, I thought it was a joke”, she says.  “I was tired and bending over. But I got there.” 

Did she ever.  The junior owned the event during the indoor track season and hopes that will transfer to this upcoming outdoors.  Butch Caldwell says she is a stickler for details. 

“She listens when she’s not fast enough”, he says.  Pretty amazing for someone who just really picked up the event about two years ago.

Beard’s concentration will likely be on the triple jump, but the long apparently helps enhance the other. 

“The triple is more of a precise thing”, she says. 

That precision could likely carry her a long way for the rest of the season.  She’ll be one of the key cogs for the Marlins this outdoor season.  Not bad for someone, who almost never thought about coming out to begin with. 

Guess it was a giant leap of faith.