By Rob Sherrill

When you’re wrestling in a state as big as California, it’s hard to stand out. It’s well known that the nation’s largest wrestling state, with over 900 schools, also has the smallest number of classes: one. That means that about three percent of the state’s total wrestling pool even makes it to the state tournament.

            Since 1973, only 18 wrestlers have finished their careers as four-time state place-winners. David Klingsheim of Brentwood Liberty High, the 112-pound state champion last year, has an excellent chance to become the 19th in March.

            Klingsheim, ranked No. 6 at 119 pounds by WIN, is starting his slow, steady descent from his normal weight of 135 pounds or so to the 119-pound weight class, which is where he’ll be making his bid for a second state title.

            Klingsheim spent two years at 112 pounds, always a tough class in the Golden State. As a sophomore, he finished fifth in state at that weight, and opened his high school career with an eighth-place finish at 103 pounds his freshman year.

            Last month, Klingsheim made the most of his cross-country trip to North Carolina to compete in the Super 32 meet. He won the 119-pound title, racking up three pins and two major decisions in his six-match run to the title. His performance there caught the eye of the University of Nebraska coaching staff, and Klingsheim eventually signed with the Cornhuskers later in the month.

            Like many wrestlers, Klingsheim followed his brothers into the sport. The youngest of four, David took more than a few poundings from Peter, 25, Kip, 23, and Adam, 20, who also enjoyed success on the mats at Liberty. But it’s David who’s taking that success to a whole new level.

            Klingsheim’s passion and focus is obvious, as he reveals in this candid interview.

            WIN: Now we’re getting into the season, so talk about a typical day for you and the training you do on a daily basis.

            Klingsheim: Right now, while I’m trying to get my weight down, I’ll wake up about 5 or 5:30 (a.m.), and depending on how cold it is, I’ll run to the gym. That’s a couple of miles, just to get a good sweat going. Then I’ll jump on the bike for about 20 or 25 minutes, then I’ll jump rope for about 20 or 25 minutes and then I’ll work out for about an hour or an hour and fifteen minutes. I don’t have a first-period class, so school for me doesn’t start until 9:45. After my workout, I get to go back home for about two and a half or three hours, just to relax.

            Then I go to school, and school goes until 2:30, and we have about a hour and a half break until we go on our team run, which is at about 4 o’clock. Then the team practices from 5 to 7, and after that I’ll work out with a couple of my coaches, or maybe a couple of the other kids, maybe a half hour or 45 minutes. Then I’ll go to the gym and work out a little bit more.

            WIN: How long have you been going on that routine?

            Klingsheim: Probably since my freshman year.

            WIN: What drives you to push yourself that way?

            Klingsheim: Honestly, I love wrestling. I love competing and I just want to do everything I can to try to be the best. I don’t like to lose and I can’t just do the bare minimum that everybody else is out there doing. I have to make sure I’m doing the extra things, going above and beyond. So I guess what keeps me motivated is my love for the sport, not liking to lose; going out there and giving it that little extra.

            WIN: I know you know a lot of wrestlers who have been very successful, but they eventually burn out after a while. You obviously have a passion for wrestling and you love what you’re doing. How have you managed to keep that love for it over all the years you’ve been wrestling?

            Klingsheim: Honestly, I don’t really know exactly, but I’ve never come close to losing it. I’ve always being around wrestling. Even after the state meet and how big winning (a state title) was, I was back out there wrestling in another tournament a week later. I just love being around the wrestling, being around the people and it’s always been something I’ve wanted to do and to be around.

            WIN: You had three older brothers that wrestled, so it’s always been a family thing. Did you pick up the wrestling bug from them?

            Klingsheim: We actually all started wrestling at the same time. I was the youngest, but we all went into it together. Actually, we all started the very same day.

            WIN: How old were you then?

            Klingsheim: I was eight years old.

            WIN: So you were a little bit of a late bloomer, even though you all started at the same time. You must have taken a few beatings at home while you were learning the sport.

            Klingsheim: Oh, definitely and that really helped me out a lot. My brothers are older and they were bigger, so I was kind of the dummy for a while there. But it was all good.           

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