Amanda was a three-sport athlete at Ponaganset, competing in soccer, basketball and track and field her freshman, sophomore, and junior years. As a senior, Amanda doubled up her winter season with basketball and indoor track and field and then competed in outdoor track and field in the spring.
Amanda played JV soccer her freshman year, then varsity soccer her sophomore and junior years. Amanda cheered on her team when they captured a state Division II title in 1992 in a nail-biting penalty kick shoot-out after two scoreless 10-minute overtimes. Playing JV basketball her freshman year led to a Most Improved award as a sophomore in her first year playing varsity. The team clinched a state title for Class A, in an overtime victory against Rogers with a score of 46-39 where Amanda contributed 10 of those points. The girls’ basketball team defended their state title again in Amanda’s junior and senior years. As a captain her senior year, she earned Third Team All Class A North and an Honorable Mention from the Woonsocket Call All-Stars.
Track and field was the showcase of Amanda’s athletic abilities. She threw shot put, discus, and javelin all four years. As a freshman she placed 2nd Team Northern Division, came in 3rd place at the state meet and qualified for New Englands in the shot put. Her sophomore status included 2nd Team All Division, 2nd Team Woonsocket Call All Stars, and 2nd Team All State for the shot put. Named team MVP and captain as a junior, Amanda made 1st Team Northern Division, 1st Team Woonsocket Call All Stars, and came in 5th place in the discus at the state meet. Nominated team MVP and captain again her senior year, she made 1st Team Woonsocket Call All Stars, 1st Team Northern Division in shot put and 2nd Team Northern Division in javelin. The girls track and field team scored 28 points and took 7th place at the state meet; Amanda contributed with 18 of those points with throws that earned her 1st Team All State in discus, 2nd Team All State in shot put, and 7th place in javelin. Amanda’s state performance in the shot put led to a PHS school record of 38’10”, which still stands today after 28 years. When Amanda wasn’t playing basketball her senior year, she competed in several Indoor Track and Field meets to earn 2nd Team for Small Schools in the shot put.
In addition to athletics, Amanda made her mark at Ponaganset playing oboe four years in the concert band and wind ensemble, being inducted into the Rhode Island Honor Society, receiving the Ideal Chieftain award, and being nominated for the Providence Journal Bulletin Honor Roll.
Amanda continued her indoor and outdoor track and field career while studying special education at Bridgewater State College, now University. In those four years, she made the All Conference Team for the Massachusetts State College Athletic Conference three years in a row. She captained both teams her junior and senior years. Amanda made the All New England Division III Team in 1998 and 1999 for her efforts in throwing. Amanda first broke Bridgewater’s outdoor shot put record her freshman year and then again her junior year with a toss of 42”; that record held for 16 years.
Amanda has been teaching in Hopedale, MA since 2001 as a special education teacher. She and her husband Randy watch their two girls, Sadie and Hazel while they now compete on the track and the soccer fields.