Former Connell star Maci Bingham throwing her way to the top at Utah St.

Maci Bingham couldn’t have asked for a better senior year at Utah State.

The 2011 Connell graduate became the school’s record-holder in the hammer throw earlier this spring with a throw of 204 feet, 6 inches. She also ranks third all-time at Utah State in the discus (168-3) and fifth in the shot put (50 3/4). She will compete in the Mountain West Conference Championships in all three events this weekend in Fresno, Calif.

“It has been a whirlwind year,” said Bingham, who graduated May 7 with a degree in interdisciplinary studies. “This year has been so much fun. I have great teammates supporting me and great coaches. I really want that (Mountain West) title.”

Bingham (nee Whitby) was an all-star athlete at Connell where she excelled in soccer, basketball and track — she still holds the Connell school record in the discus (136-1), though her younger sister Halli is working on erasing her from the record books.

She worked with former Kiona-Benton and Washington State thrower McKenzie Burgess her junior and senior years in high school. She placed fourth at the 1A state meet in the discus (124-10) and shot put (38-11 1/4) her senior year.

“My numbers kind of skyrocketed when I started working with McKenzie,” Bingham said. “She would tell me about her throwing days. She talked about the hammer, but I never really knew what the hammer was all about until I got to Idaho State.”

Her freshman year with the Bengals, Bingham had success in the discus and shot put, and her hammer work was coming along, but Idaho State wasn’t all she thought it would be.

She met her husband Brady Bingham there and they have been married for 3 years, but that’s where the love affair ended.

“I needed a fresh start,” Bingham said.

And she knew Utah State was the place for her. She wanted to work with their coaches, especially Matt Ingebritsen.

“I would see him with his throwers and the words he was saying — I didn’t know what he was saying,” she said. “He could turn mediocre athletes into elite athletes. We didn’t really have a dedicated throws coach at Idaho State. I knew I wanted to come here because of their coaches.”

A new beginning

Ingebritsen knew Bingham could be a star the first time he saw her throw.

At the time, Bingham was a freshman at Idaho State.

“We were in Boise and I was standing with our former (hammer) record holder Lindsey Spencer,” Ingebritsen said. “I said if she had the opportunity to throw with someone who knew what they were doing, she’d be good. A couple of years later, I got a call that she was transferring to Utah State.”

It was a good move for Bingham and a bonus for the Aggies.

In two years, Bingham has blossomed into one of the top hammer throwers in the nation, and she’s not half bad at the discus and shot put either.

“The first year she was was here, I knew she would be our school record holder (in the hammer) before she left.” Ingebritsen said. “She understood it, but she had some unlearning to do. When she was at Idaho State, I don’t think she thought she could throw this far, but I knew she could. She is super fun to work with, she has a good attitude and she is willing to work and listen.”

But success didn’t come right away.

“My first year I sucked at the hammer,” Bingham said. “That’s why I put more into the disc.”

But as time went by, the hammer flew farther and the next thing Bingham knew, she had qualified for the first round of the NCAA Outdoor Championships. She didn’t make the top flight to compete in the finals in Eugene, which gave her the drive to put in the extra work this year.

“It was so intimidating throwing against the best in the country,” Bingham said. “It was hard going from placing first or second to placing 24th. It was lack of experience. I didn’t do as well as I wanted to, and that was the first day of working for next year.”

Just the attitude Ingebritsen was looking for.

Successful season

“Right toward the end of last year, it just started to click,” he said. “It makes it easier when you have a good student. She is open to accepting help. Some kids can be amazing, but some aren’t willing to listen and make changes. I knew this would be her year. She has prepared and she knows what she wants to do. She will take care of business this weekend, then take care of the first round at nationals.”

Bingham has qualified in all three events for the first round of the NCAA Outdoor Championships on May 26-28 in Lawrence, Kan. She ranks 15th in the nation in the hammer and is sixth in the west. To reach the NCAA final in Eugene, you have to place in the top 12 in your region.

“All of my goals are pretty new,” she said. “You don’t know what your possibilities are until you go after them. Ever since the indoor season, I said I’m going to win (a Mountain West title). I am excited. I have more confidence this year.”

At 5-foot-7, Bingham is not your typical hammer thrower, but Ingebritsen said she makes her size work for her.

“She doesn’t fit the mold. What she lacks in height, she makes up in strength and power,” Ingebritsen said. “Maci is so much faster than them. She has explosive power.”

After all the practices and long hours in the weight room, Bingham’s work ethic has been contagious among her teammates.

“What helps us build a culture is the competition,” Ingebritsen said. “She is such a great leader. One of the best, if not the best captain I have had. She has brought a lot to this program. She is setting precedent that will carry on a long time. The day is fastly approaching when she won’t be one of my athletes anymore. I am definitely going to miss her. She will leave a legacy.”

This story was originally published May 11, 2016 at 4:54 PM with the headline "Former Connell star Maci Bingham throwing her way to the top at Utah St.."