Meet-a-Bison: The throwers
Barbora Ungermannova and Amanda Benz have two very different backgrounds.
Ungermannova made a name for herself coming from the Czech Republic; Benz was a star at Irondale High School in Mounds View, Minn.
Both, however, want the same thing: excellence.
Ungermannova and Benz are red shirt freshman on the women’s track and field team. Both are climbing the charts this season on NDSU’s all-time throwing lists. Ungermannova already has the freshman record in shot put and the freshman indoor hammer throw record. She set the freshman indoor hammer throw record with a throw of 52-6 at the Bison Classic Feb. 17. She also set the shot put record at 44-5.
Both said red shirting last year was a new experience.
“ The hardest part was being patient,” Benz said. “It’s not fun sitting back and watching when you want to be out there making a difference.”
“ It wasn’t as difficult for me as it was for Amanda,” Ungermannova said. “I was able to compete at indoor meets and able to practice; with Amanda’s surgery, it was more frustrating I think for her.”
Benz had two surgeries on her knee. She had problems with her patellar tendon and a second surgery was needed to clean it out because her knee cap is not big enough.
“ It was hard, but it’s just something you have to deal with and it was needed for me to be ready for this season,” Benz said.
The reason both came to NDSU is simple: they like to win.
“ I had bigger scholarship offers elsewhere, but with the winning tradition (and) attitude of the coaches, it just felt like home and I was comfortable with the program,” Benz said.
Ungermannova felt at ease with NDSU too.
Ungermannova moved to Crookston, Minn., from the Czech Republic in high school mainly to learn English.
“ With Crookston only being an hour away, the staff is great, and it was just like a small family here,” Ungermannova said.
“ I had no idea I would come here and be participating at the collegiate level,” she said.
Ungermannova won one national championship in the Czech Republic and was the 2004 shot put champion in Minnesota.
Benz said having Ungermannova around everyday is like a competition in itself.
“ I always want to be better than everyone,” Benz said. “Having Barbora at practice everyday, who is very similar with distances, it’s almost like a mini competition in practice.”
The bottom line with both of the women is that they want to be consistent winners by the time their careers are over at NDSU.
“ I want to look back when it’s over and say I did my best and be able to compete for a championship at nationals,” Ungermannova said.
“ I don’t really like to set goals; I just want to get the fundamentals and mechanics down because throwing is a sport that relies so much on perfect technique,” Benz said.
Benz said she wants the team to be a threat to other teams.
“ I want our team to be a consistent threat in Division I,” Benz said. “I want teams to be afraid to compete against us.”
Benz is undecided on a major, while Undermannova is majoring in physical education.