WENDY PIERRO/Acorn Newspapers UP AND AWAY—Simi Valley High freshman Amanda Hamilton competes in the long jump during a track meet Wednesday at Westlake. Hamilton also runs the 100-meter dash. After months of cheering for Simi Valley High's best athletes, freshman Amanda Hamilton is finding out what it's like to be on the other side of the fence.

Hamilton, a cheerleader during the fall and winter semesters at SVHS, is one of the Pioneers' top track stars as a long jumper and sprinter.

Having so much success this early has been a surprise to the 14year-old, who's competed in track for less than two years.

"At the beginning of this school year, I never thought it would be possible to be doing as well as I have been doing in track," Hamilton said. "I gave track and field a try a year ago with the Simi Valley Running Rebels (youth club) because it was something new to try and I like focusing on goals."

Longtime Simi Valley head girls' track coach Roger Evans, who usually hears about his top incoming freshmen in advance, knew nothing about Hamilton.

Amanda Hamilton "As tryouts were starting, a couple of the other kids were telling me that there was this freshman cheerleader that was working out on the track and that she was really good," Evans said.

"At first, I didn't anticipate that she would be good enough to be on varsity, but as tryouts started I began to see her potential. By the Royal Twilight Invitational I knew she was varsity material."

Evans said the toughest thing about gauging Hamilton's skills is figuring out what events to place her in.

She's proven to be stellar in both the long jump, where she already has a leap of 16 feet, and the 100-meter dash, an event in which she's posted a 12.9-second personal-best time.

That leaves two more events she can compete in per meet.

"In my opinion, she could be at the varsity level now in any event," Evans said. "My task over the next year is to try and find out her best events.

"What I didn't want to do is overwhelm her. I don't want to push her into too many pressure situations before she knows what she's dealing with."

Just about the only event Hamilton won't compete in is pole vaulting, due to a back injury that forced her to quit gymnastics when she was 12.

Although gymnastics will keep her away from pole vaulting, it's helped her in the long jump.

"Coming from a gymnastics background, I've liked the long jump because you have to keep your arms in the proper form," Hamilton said.

"I also need to learn to hit the board at just the right place. It's a great feeling when you take off perfectly and you realize you're in the air for just a little longer than usual."

Being in the air is something that's familiar to Hamilton. She often defies gravity at SVHS cheerleading events.

At a cheerleading competition in Anaheim two weeks ago, Hamilton was on the Pioneer squad that took first place.

Hamilton may be earning some hardware in cheerleading, but Evans doesn't expect to attend any of the freshman's competitions anytime soon.

"Any time she is thrown up in the air by her fellow cheerleaders, I basically hold my breath," Evans said. "I basically have decided I don't want to look and I don't want to know. It's kind of like that Geico commercial where the big man asks the gecko to catch his fall—I'd just rather not watch what happens."

Evans can rest assured, however, that Hamilton enjoys track and field more than cheerleading.

Although she's not sure if she will continue to cheer with the Pioneers for three more years, she said she'll be competing in track for the rest of her time at SVHS.

"Even though I get more nervous for track and field meets, I like it more than cheerleading," Hamilton said.

"I have to put in so much more effort into track than cheerleading, so it's really rewarding when you do well."

Hamilton said with her hectic schedule—cheerleading season is year-round—she doesn't really have time to do anything else.

"I've learned that I don't get too much sleep," Hamilton said with a laugh.

"When I come home, I don't sit around and do nothing. If I sit around and don't do anything, I don't have any time to get things done later."