David Hamm is a junior at duPont Manual in Louisville. He is currently ranked #5 in the KYtrackXC.com/KTCCCA Class AAA Individual Rankings. Hamm and his #3 Crimson teammates ran at the Loyola Lakefront Invitational in Illinois this past Saturday.
Personal Best
1600m Run: 4:41.31
3200m Run: 9:54.19
5000m Run: 16:09.56
KYtrackXC.com: Goals coming into this season?
DH: The main goal for this year is to win state as a team. I am also trying to stay more relaxed as the season progresses. In track, I got a little stressed and had some bad races towards the end of the season. I realized that there was no point in running if I wasn't going to have fun.
KYtrackXC.com: Thoughts on the season so far?
DH: The season has been great so far. The weather may not be the best training wise but as we found out at the Trinity Invitational, it makes for a great race once it finally does cool off. I have also really enjoyed every race that our team has competed in. They have been really well-organized and there are always runners who make the race a little more fun to run in.
KYtrackXC.com: Great race at the Trinity Invitational. Did you have any particular strategy going into such a loaded race?
DH: Thanks, I knew the race would be fast, but I tried not to let that get to me. I figured that the pack would start real fast and I didn't want to get sucked into that. I was with a couple of my teammates up to the mile and it really helped to have some of the other Kentucky runners to work with throughout the race. Other than that I just tried to relax and have fun.
KYtrackXC.com: Favorite runner? (any age, dead or alive)
DH: My favorite runner would have to be Rui Silva, Portugal's main man distance runner.
KYtrackXC.com: What do you think about such a wide open AAA team and individual competition so far this season?
DH: I think that it's great for the state. For the last couple of years (starting with Bobby Curtis) our state has always had one standout runner. Although it's great to have such talent, it takes the focus away from all the other runners who are also doing well. The same goes for the teams this year. I have a feeling that this may be one of the fastest years since there are so many individuals and teams in the running for the State Title.
KYtrackXC.com: Describe duPont Manual as a team.
DH: Our team this year has really made a much-deserved leap. Starting in my freshman year, we knew that we could eventually contend for the Championship with the talent that our team had. Our team works really well together and knows how to make a hard workout seem more fun than it really is. It’s also good that we don’t pick out our own teammates as the people we need to beat. We know how to work off of each other’s talents but we never make enemies of our own teammates
KYtrackXC.com: How was the trip and race at Loyola?
DH: It was a great bonding experience for the team. We always try to do one out of town trip just to get out and have some fun with different competition. It’s nice to get to a state with fewer rules just so that we can relax and focus on the race. Our team did amazing as well. Apart from a few accidents on the course, everyone was able to work together and show some of those Illinois teams how we do it in Kentucky.