2008 Woodie Awards
INSIDE THE LOCKER ROOM
Matt Malek '06 plays hard and works harder
Tom McCann
Issue date: 2/23/06 Section: Sports
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The Campus: When did you start running track?
Matt Malek: I started running track junior year at Middlebury.
TC: Why did you decide to start?
MM: I played soccer for the first two years, on the B-team, and then I didn't play my junior year and I got fat and bored. I'd always wanted to play track and it seemed like the perfect opportunity, so I took it up.
TC: Did you ever think about playing something else?
MM: Not really. At this level you kind of need to be fairly well trained to say the least to play most sports, but track is something where if you have the kind of natural ability, you can pick it up faster.
TC: So would you say you're a natural?
MM: [Laughs] I guess that could be said.
TC: What do you talk about with other sprinters between sprints?
MM: [Laughs] I don't think that's fit for publication. [Pause] Well, today we were watching the jumpers - we often comment on the other people in the gym and the pole-vaulters are always entertaining because they do funny things in their training.
TC: Do you have a favorite event to watch or compete in?
MM: I think it's the same answer for both actually. I think the 4x400m relay is my favorite event both to watch and do because it's short enough to be "not-boring" in my opinion, but long enough to build up and have a lot of excitement. It's, in my opinion, the best spectator event in track - probably a biased event since I run the event.
TC: Do you have an occasion that stands out for you so far when you think back over your track career?
MM: Definitely the Open New England meet in Boston last indoor season. It's when our relay sort of came out of nowhere to come in fourth and qualify - or we thought, qualify for nationals and it was excellent. Everybody ran the best they could that day and it was a wonderful experience.
TC: What's the best thing that track has done for you?
MM: You mean besides my beautiful girlfriend, Kirsten? [Laughs] It's given me an outlet for my competitive desires. I really love to compete and it's done that, and I've met some amazing people, some really awesome people.
Matt Malek: I started running track junior year at Middlebury.
TC: Why did you decide to start?
MM: I played soccer for the first two years, on the B-team, and then I didn't play my junior year and I got fat and bored. I'd always wanted to play track and it seemed like the perfect opportunity, so I took it up.
TC: Did you ever think about playing something else?
MM: Not really. At this level you kind of need to be fairly well trained to say the least to play most sports, but track is something where if you have the kind of natural ability, you can pick it up faster.
TC: So would you say you're a natural?
MM: [Laughs] I guess that could be said.
TC: What do you talk about with other sprinters between sprints?
MM: [Laughs] I don't think that's fit for publication. [Pause] Well, today we were watching the jumpers - we often comment on the other people in the gym and the pole-vaulters are always entertaining because they do funny things in their training.
TC: Do you have a favorite event to watch or compete in?
MM: I think it's the same answer for both actually. I think the 4x400m relay is my favorite event both to watch and do because it's short enough to be "not-boring" in my opinion, but long enough to build up and have a lot of excitement. It's, in my opinion, the best spectator event in track - probably a biased event since I run the event.
TC: Do you have an occasion that stands out for you so far when you think back over your track career?
MM: Definitely the Open New England meet in Boston last indoor season. It's when our relay sort of came out of nowhere to come in fourth and qualify - or we thought, qualify for nationals and it was excellent. Everybody ran the best they could that day and it was a wonderful experience.
TC: What's the best thing that track has done for you?
MM: You mean besides my beautiful girlfriend, Kirsten? [Laughs] It's given me an outlet for my competitive desires. I really love to compete and it's done that, and I've met some amazing people, some really awesome people.