The News-Press selects athletes that stood out the week before based on a combination of coach reports and school nominations sent to [email protected] and our coverage. Those athletes are put in a poll each Monday on news-press.com and you, our readers, vote on who you think did it best. The winners of The News-Press Athlete of the Week poll receive a T-shirt from BSN Sports and a tote bag from the USA Today High School Sports Awards. To get to know our winners better, The News-Press will have a question-and-answer session with each athlete.
The News-Press Athlete of the Week winner for April 7-12 with 34% of the votes is Fort Myers track athlete David Monteilh. The senior Monteilh took first place in the long jump and high jump at the LCAC Championships.
Question: How do you toggle between the two jumps, especially at meets when they are running simultaneously?
Monteih: I think most of it is in my training. Like, I train for it every day. Mondays, I do long jump. Tuesdays, I do high jump. Some days I do both, I go back and forth from high and long to check technique, and I always give my glory to God. You know, he’s carried me through everything, and he’s helped me get through this. Like, I’ve really been training since I was a kid. Middle school is when I started really running track.
You also competed in weightlifting at the same time and took fifth at state. These are two physical sports, how do you juggle them?
Monteih: Mostly it’s recovery, and then keeping your head straight. You always got to keep your head on the right mind, like me, personally, I have to really lock in on meet days. I have to say, I got to cut this out. I can’t hang with this person. Do that. I can’t eat this. I got to really focus my mind and stretch every day and really recover my body. Same with weightlifting, like I’m doing weightlifting and track. So I usually go to the weight room at like 6 a.m. lift, do my full lift, finish school, and then I go to track to work out.
What are your expectations for the rest of track season?
Monteih: I’m trying to get at least 6(feet), 7 (inches) in high jump, and then for long jump, I’m trying at least to get a 24-23 (feet). … My goal is first place always.
What are your plans for next year?
Monteih: I’m going to college. I don’t know which college I’m going to yet, but I have to find out which school wants me to jump and play football. And you know, they’re gonna get the best of both worlds.
If you had to pick one sport, would it be track or football?
Monteih: Football. Yeah, that’s my main sport. Track. I love track. The love I have for track is different. I just love, like, jumping and running. It’s the atmosphere. Getting everybody hyped. I love putting on a show. People come here to watch people run and jump. And I just want people to get what they paid for.
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