Athlete of the Week: Evergreen Park's Hunter Hard to Ignore

Evergreen Park senior Amber Hunter wants colleges to take notice of her throwing ability. With her recent performances, she might have gotten their attention.

On April 29, Hunter won both the shot put (33 feet, 2 inches) and the discus throw (91 feet, 4 inches) at the Chicago Christian Co-ed Invitational. She said her light-hearted approach to the day helped her succeed.

“I was feeling a little goofy and I was really happy that day,” Hunter said. “I had my friend Dominique (Williams) with me; she throws with me. Us being together is like Beavis and Butthead.”

This past Thursday, Hunter took second at the South Suburban Conference meet at Eisenhower in both the shot put (32 feet, 8 inches) and the discus (101 feet). She was a little more nervous in that meet.

“I was pretty much trying to focus on my throwing, but I was nervous,” Hunter said. “There was one girl that we didn’t get to compete against from Shepard because the meet was rained out, and when I saw her throw, I was like, ‘Whoa.’”

Hunter’s efforts have earned her recognition as Patch’s Athlete of the Week.

Hunter plans to attend Southern Illinois University in Carbondale in the fall, hoping to walk on to the track team. However, those plans could change if another school offers her a track scholarship.

“I really need this because basketball didn’t work out for me, so track is my last resort for college, so I have to put my all in this,” she said. “Hopefully I’ll get looked at during the next two meets.”