EAST GRAND RAPIDS – Earlier this month, East Grand Rapids cross country standout Jonah Workman arrived at the Sparta Invitational feeling less than enthusiastic to run as raindrops began to fall.

“I came into the race not really thinking I was going to try super hard, to be honest,” Workman said. “I got to the race and it started to rain and the course was super muddy when we were warming up. We really didn't want to run.”

A day of angst quickly turned to exhilaration hours later after Workman eclipsed 15 minutes for the first time to win the event easily.

He clocked a personal-record 14:58.8 and won the race by almost a minute.

“Jonah asked me what I thought the course record was, and I jokingly said, ‘If you break 15, I think you will get it’, and then he went out and just hammered and put it away,” Pioneers boys cross country coach Drew Collette said. “That’s a quick course, but I didn't know if the conditions would be perfect for that. But he went for it and blew me away.

“It was a significant PR, and anytime you can break 15 it's a big deal, especially by yourself. That’s really special, and it was super fun to see that.”

Workman is one of only three runners in Michigan to run under 15 minutes this season as he joins Ann Arbor Pioneer’s Kamari Ronfeldt (14:47.9) and Beckett Crooks (14:56.1).

“I went the first mile in like 4:42 and I was like, ‘I feel good. I can run pretty hard,’” Workman said. “I ran hard after that mile. It was a fluke of a race, but glad it happened.” 

Workman is one of the top returning runners in the state this season and the catalyst of a talented Pioneers squad.

He finished fifth overall at the Lower Peninsula Division 2 Final last season, but hopes to end his career accomplishing a goal he set for himself in middle school when first meeting Collette.

 “I met him in eighth grade, right before I took the job, and we talked about his goals and he wanted to win a state title his senior year,” Collette said. “I told him that we could get there, and we can work on that.

“He had natural talent, and he's been very dedicated to his craft and very dedicated to his goals. When you have that type of talent and mix it with someone that is driven the way he is … it's not a real surprise to see four years later and here we are.”\

Workman recalled that first encounter with Collette and the conversation concerning what he hoped to attain.

“When I met him I had just PR’d and won this race and was very pumped up with energy and confidence,” Workman said. “I thought I could have a future in this, and that would be winning a state championship for me.

“I always watched my sister, Ainsley, running at the state meet and I also watched all these family friends win it and be successful. So in middle school, I kind of always had that in the back of my mind.”

Running has been a common thread in the Workman family.

“I was put into running in sixth grade by my parents, who both ran at Calvin College, and my sisters ran, so it was kind of natural for me to go into running as well,” Workman said. “I played basketball freshman year, but sat the bench and I thought to myself, ‘Why am I sitting the bench when I can go train for track?’”

Workman was a freshman when East Grand Rapids won a Division 2 team championship, the first in program history. He finished 45th individually that season and 31st as a sophomore before making a giant leap his junior year.

“We were really careful about him and his progression,” Collette said. “He was watching and learning from the older guys and then had more of a workload as a junior when he became a lot stronger and became a leader on the team.

“Seeing him take fifth last year and now being exactly where he wants to be and where we wanted him to get to in a place where we can vie for that individual title is really exciting. It’s been an awesome progression of just being patient, being smart and having that long-term goal in mind the whole time.”

Workman’s mindfulness to his training, coupled with a strong worth ethic, were main factors in his times continuing to drop.

“It’s all about consistency within my training and building confidence over time,” Workman said. “I used to beat my stuff up after bad races and that set me back, but now I go with the one-third rule and coach has been a great tool to keep instilling that confidence in me that I can compete at a high level.”

Workman has his sights set on the EGR record (14:56), as well as capping his high school career with another Finals title. The Pioneers have finished third as a team the past two years.

“Winning state as a team is one of my biggest priorities, especially after my freshman year being able to win it as a team," Workman said. "Being able to win it now with all of my friends would just be a super way to end high school cross country.

“These guys have been dedicated to their craft and have been for four years with me. It's been amazing to be in this type of environment, and I'm surrounded by guys who want it as bad as I do.” 

Expectations remain high for this group because of the runners’ experience and depth.

“It’s a group that is really driven and really wants to get back on top,” Collette said. “We want to bookend by trying to win one more time for this group. It’s going to be a hard challenge, but that’s what we’re aiming for.”

Dean Holzwarth has covered primarily high school sports for Grand Rapids-based WOOD-TV for five years after serving at the Grand Rapids Press and MLive for 16 years along with shorter stints at the Ionia Sentinel and WZZM. Contact him at [email protected] with story ideas for Allegan, Kent and Ottawa counties. 

PHOTOS East Grand Rapids’ Jonah Workman runs at Grand Rapids South Christian’s Under the Lights Invite on Aug. 22. (Photo by Willoughby Sports Photography.)