Fallbrook track star turns dance instructor

FALLBROOK- When James Ungricht graduated from Fallbrook High in 2001, little did he anticipate where life would take him over the next several years. Ungricht finished his senior year at Fallbrook as a dominant figure in the track community. Winning San Diego CIF in the 800 meter event and finishing seventh in the state of California placed him in the top 25 in the nation. Ungricht elected to attend Brigham Young University, a college with a strong running program.

After taking an extended amount of time off, Ungricht thought he could just waltz right back into the track world. After not making the walk-on team at BYU, Ungricht abandoned a hopeful track career. “It was one of the most difficult decisions of my life,” he said. “Track was what defined me throughout my four years of high school. It was like I was giving a part of myself up. Luckily, I found something else I enjoyed to fill the void I was feeling.”

Ungricht turned in his track spikes and picked up a pair of shiny ballroom shoes. Although he had a fun time dancing, it did not come naturally to him. In fact, the first two times he tried out for the ballroom team, he didn’t make the cut. It wasn’t until his junior year he would become a part of the prestigious Ballroom Dance Company. “I always tell people the only reason I am as good as I am is persistence. After four years of dance classes, I figured I’d eventually learn a thing or two.”

Today, Ungricht manages to fulfill both passions he studied in college. He works at the San Diego Wild Animal Park as an education guide and teaches Ballroom Dance on the side.

Ungricht is teaching his dance class at the Fallbrook Community Center. A free introductory class will be offered Tuesday evening, September 16, 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. and a new six-week series of classes begin Tuesday, September 23. This Fall, he will add a Latin dance class to the offerings.

Ungricht insists the “best part about dance, besides the fun, is that it is a good way to exercise and stay healthy.”

To find out more about the dance classes, call the Fallbrook Community Center at (760) 728-1671.