Hi-Line Athlete Profile: Marc Klimas, Havre High Track

Blue Pony Marc Klimas can cover the distance, but he does so much more than run

Marc Klimas has done a little bit of everything in his years as a Havre High Blue Pony. But as he nears the end of his senior year, he still has an opportunity to put an exclamation mark on his HHS career with another good finish to his fourth and final track and field season.

Havre High senior Marc Klimas is a star distance runner. He's also a star in the classroom, in the music room and just about anything else he tries or does. Klimas will compete in the final Lions Havre Invite this Saturday at the Havre Middle School Track.

Klimas runs the 1,600 and the 3,200-meters for the HHS track team. He is a four-year contributor, but has also ran cross country for the last three years, as well as played golf and basketball his freshman year. But with as much success he has found in his long athletic career, Klimas is also top notch in the classroom, as well as in a variety of the Blue Pony music programs.

When Klimas isn't flying around the track, or making short work of a three-mile cross country course, you might be able to find him excelling in the music room or classroom instead.

His freshman, sophomore, and junior years, he also put in a lot of time on his tenor saxophone in several music programs. And as a two-time Academic All-Stater, he was also given the Louie Armstrong Jazz Award to make for a well- rounded list of accolades. Klimas chose to forgo music programs to focus on his running his senior season, but over the last three years he took part in the jazz band, symphony, concert band and marching band.

But focusing on his running, Klimas still has a chance to do some good things in his senior track season. As a key contributor, his success in the distance races has been, and will continue to be crucial for the young Pony team this season. And with the Central A divisional track meet and the Class A state meet not too far down the road, he can put the finishing touches on his prep running career.

Here's five questions with one of Havre's elite distance runners as he readies for his final Lions Havre Invitational this weekend

HDN: Do you prefer running on a track, or on a cross country course?

Klimas: "Honestly up to this point, I think I am liking the track a little bit more because the diversity of the sport. It isn't a consistent three-mile course, I know the course changes, but I like testing my mile and two mile times. With track too, I like the places that we get to go to that we don't see in cross country, like Whitefish. It can (get monotonous) running around the track, but you just focus on catching the next guy. "

HDN: How do you prepare and stay ready for your events early in the season, when the meets are still ran in cold weather conditions?

Klimas: "I like to get a pretty good running warm up in, maybe 10 to 20 minutes to loosen up my body a bit. And a big thing I have noticed is watching and knowing when to eat. That has been a big part of my focus for the last three years."

HDN: As you prepare for the Lions Invite, is the team excited to compete in front of the home fans again?

Klimas: "I think that we are used to this track so we enjoy competing here. The jumpers know where their marks are by heart, the distance runners know what the pace is, and if it isn't windy, you can get a personal record most of the time at this track. The fans are a huge plus too, and this is just a fun meet. It is early in the season and we are still trying to get into shape, so this is a stepping stone as we go meet to meet."

HDN: What is it going to take for you to place or even win one of your events at the state meet this year?

Klimas: "I was a little lackadaisical in my training this winter, I didn't do as much base mileage as I should of, so I really need to get after that right away. I also need to push it a little more in my races because I am not as tired as I should be at the finish, and I need to push for that little bit of extra effort."

HDN: What improvements would you like to see out of the team as a whole?

Klimas: "I think that if we can work on our relays more, then we can improve. But we are doing OK right now, it would just be nice to get some things down and get a couple more relay teams in there because it is a fun event to compete in."