Amanda Smock

Amanda Smock was born on July 27, 1982 to parents Beth and Glen Thieschafer. She grew up in the small town, Melrose, in rural Minnesota where she began competing in gymnastics at age 4. She was very close to her father, who was a gymnast coach and wanted her to pursue gymnastics. However, she gave up gymnastics when she became a teenager and started track and field. She excelled at long jump, pole vault, triple jump, and sprinting events. Smock graduated from Melrose High School in 2000. She attended North Dakota State University on an athletic scholarship, graduating in 2004. In college, she was a three-time NCAA Division II triple jump champion. Amanda Smock holds four national triple jump titles, two at USA Outdoors and two at USA Indoors. After Smock failed to make the Olympic Team in 2008, her father crossed "2008" off of his credential and added "2012." Smock lost her father shortly after the trials. In 2011, Smock won the USA Outdoor Championships with a jump of 46.2 ft., but was just shy of making the needed B standard for the World Championships. Days before the World team was announced, Smock jumped a personal best of 46.5 ft. and went to Daegu to compete.

In 2012, she won the Indoor Championship with a jump of 45.2 ft., qualifying her for the 2012 IAAF World Indoor Championships. At the Olympic Trials she won the event with a jump of 45.7 ft. and qualified for the 2012 Summer Olympics in London.  At the games, she failed to advance out of the qualifying round of competition with her best jump of 44.7 ft. and placed 11th. Amanda Smock is now married to her former college teammate, Greg Smock and coaches long and triple jump for Macalester College’s track and field team. 

"Amanda Smock." Team USA. N.p., n.d. Web. 04 Mar. 2015. <http://www.teamusa.org/usa-track-and-field/athletes/Amanda-Smock>.

"Amanda Smock Biography." Amanda Smock Biography. N.p., n.d. Web. 04 Mar. 2015. <http://www.asicsamerica.com/athletes/amanda-smock>.

"Amanda Smock." USA Track & Field -. N.p., n.d. Web. 04 Mar. 2015. <http://www.usatf.org/Athlete-Bios/Amanda-Smock.aspx>.