Chris Kling's introduction to the sport of track and field wasn't exactly a pleasant experience. As a freshman at Timken Senior High School, Kling ran the 800 and threw the discus, but it was a relay that left a sour taste in his mouth.
"I got suckered into running a leg of the 4x4 during a dual meet and had the worst experience of my life. That was the end of my track and field career. I got involved in the sport again when my son Kyle began running his eighth grade year. He's currently a senior distance runner at Coastal Carolina. My wife Susan and I have become distance parents, kind of like band parents, but cooler."
The renewed love for the sport also led Kling to become involved in S.C. USATF a year ago. He was a NFHS certified official in Ohio, but since South Carolina high schools don't use NFHS he had to go through USATF in order to keep officiating. He attended the association's meeting last fall and ended up accepting the second vice president position. At the Youth...