April 8-9, 2005

June 17-18, 2005

David Klech
(California HS, San Ramon)
on his magical start to the 2005 season!!

Margaret Gallagher catches David in the Highs and High Jumping at 7-feet!!

1) General thoughts on the 2005 Track season thus far?

This year has been truly amazing so far! I have been training really hard and everything is clicking. I have hit PR's in all of my events this year. I came into this year hoping to make a big impact on the state and national scene, and with all of my success so far, it has been really exciting.

2) Where do you go from here? - How far into the school year and summer do you hope to involve yourself with meets this year?

This year my first goal is to have an awesome experience at State. I went my freshman year in 2 events and got a taste of the atmosphere. Then I went last year as a sophomore in 4 events and left wanting more. Now this year, as a junior, I'm hoping to excel at the State meet and maybe bring home a couple of medals. This summer I'm hoping to be with the U.S.A. youth team and go to the World Youth Championships in Morocco. I will also be trying to compete in the Junior Olympics and the U.S.A. Youth Nationals.

3) How close to perfect were the 24-07 LJ and 7-00 HJ efforts - people talk about the "magic moment" in sports when it all comes together - did they or anything else you have done this year come close to that moment?

I would have to say both of those moments were truly incredible. The 24-07 long jump came as a shock to me. Last year I took up decathlon so I needed to learn long jump, but I really never got into it as much as I would have liked. However, this year I have been working very hard at long jump. It's still a new event to me, and I'm learning at every meet. My jump of 24-07 was my perfect jump so far. I hit my take off perfectly, my in-air technique was solid, and I finished it with a quality landing. My 7-00 High Jump was one of those " magic moments" for me. I have been training very hard this year at high jump and have taken several attempts at 7' but never cleared it. But when it was all on the line at the Stanford Invitational, I had my perfect jump at 7-00 and was not even close to touching the bar.

4) How many events would you like to do in the typical dual meet if there was not a four-event limit?

Now that's a tough question. I would have to say probably 7 events. I love competing in both of my hurdle races, high jump, long jump, triple jump, and running on the 4x1, and 4x4. I know it would be hard, but I would like to compete in as many events as I could. Whenever I compete, it's a chance for a new learning experience.

5) What's with the socks - great touch, but is there any story behind?

The socks! The socks began when I started hurdling and I wanted to protect my legs from getting scratched on the hurdles. Now my orange socks have become my lucky charms. I wore my orange socks for the first time at the Stanford Invitational my sophomore year and I had the best meet ever with them and have kept them around. I wear them to all the big Invitationals. If you ever see the Cal High 4x4 racing at an invitational, you will see all of us all sporting our matching orange socks.

6) Did you generally do anything different this Fall and Winter that helped you take your events to the next level compared to last year? Explain--

There were two main differences between my preparations for this year's track season compared to last year. The first difference was that this year I didn't play High School Soccer and concentrated on track throughout the winter. The second difference is that last year I had to postpone a lot of my early season training because I was out with a broken collar bone. This year I have come into track a lot more dedicated, focused, and with a lot more experience. I also trained a lot harder in cross country this year and built up a lot more endurance.

7) What other sports have you been involved with along the way and did you give any up to concentrate on your track and field? Explain--

Right now my two sports are Track and Cross Country. Track is my main sport. and Cross Country is my sport to keep in shape during the fall. I used to play competitive soccer and was also a competitive swimmer, but with all the time I spent on the track, it was too hard to juggle everything. I had to give up Swimming my freshman year, and I gave up Soccer after my sophomore year. I miss playing other sports, but I love track and wouldn't give it up for anything.

8) What can we find you doing with your time outside of sports and studies?

I'm pretty much your average 16 year old. I like to hang out with my friends, listen to music, and watch television. I love watching track on the television and learning as much as I can from professional runners- I TIVO everything related to track. I'm also always on DyeStatCal and DyeStat finding out how everyone in the nation is doing.

9) What advice would you give to someone who is new to Track and Field and seems to have talent in a couple of event areas that might lead to interest in the multi-events?

Try as much as you can and have fun. When I came to practice my first day as a freshman, I was running with the distance runners preparing for the mile and the 800. Now I'm doing sprints, hurdles, and jumps. You never know when you might get to try a new event. The best advice I can give is to try as much as you can because you never know how successful you will be until you try. Also, listen to all of the advice that others give you because it can really help. I've had great coaches and teammates helping me every step of the way. And remember to always have as much fun out on the track as possible because that's the key to success.