Performance: Brighton's Jack Spamer
October 18, 2019
Jack Spamer
Brighton senior – Cross Country
The Bulldogs distance ace posted Michigan’s fastest high school time since 2014 with a 14:48.1 to finish first at the 35th Ann Arbor Father Gabriel Richard Invitational on Oct. 12. He cut 14 seconds from his personal record run from a week before and cleared the field by 22 seconds, earning the MHSAA “Performance of the Week.”
Spamer was a strong competitor last season, finishing 18th at the Lower Peninsula Division 1 Final at Michigan International Speedway after coming in 48th as a sophomore. He’s taken another significant jump this fall, finishing first or second in all but one event – when he took third in the Elite race at the Sept. 13 Spartan Invitational at Michigan State University. Running against many of the state’s best again at the Portage Invitational on Oct. 5, Spamer cut 30 seconds off his previous season-best time with a 15:02. That set the stage for last weekend’s awe-inspiring run, the fastest in the state since former Grand Blanc speedster (and eventual 12-time Stanford All-American) Grant Fisher posted a 14:43 at Portage in 2014.
Talent and hard work have delivered Spamer’s improvement, of course – but credit also should go to his competition in the Kensington Lakes Activities Association, including teammate Zachary Stewart and Plymouth senior Carter Solomon, last season’s LPD1 Final runner-up. Spamer finished second to Solomon at Thursday’s KLAA finals, where five runners cleared 15:24. Brighton won the team championship at the league meet and is ranked No. 1 in LPD1 as it pursues a first MHSAA Finals championship since 1995. Spamer is hoping for a similar jump next spring on the track as he’ll look to improve on a ninth place in the 1,600 and 11th in the 3,200 from this past June’s LPD1 Finals. While he surely has a future in racing, academics will provide plenty of opportunities as well. Spamer carries a 3.95 grade-point average and is interested in studying computer science or computer engineering as he considers his next destination after high school.
Coach Chris Elsey said: “Jack has been a tremendous inspiration to his teammates. He is the perfect model to show what can be accomplished with a lot of hard work and dedication. As a freshman he couldn't crack the varsity lineup, and now he's one of the top runners in the state. Jack is extremely coachable. He responds positively to both praise and critiques, and he is always looking for ways to improve the team. Jack is an excellent teammate. The team's goals are always first, and he is most excited to see the breakthrough performances of his younger teammates. Jack is a great leader. His demeanor and work ethic at practices, meets, and in the classroom show his peers how to do things the right way every day. He has been a pleasure to coach these four years, and I'm looking forward to seeing what the rest of this season has in store.”
Performance Point: “The first mile was really fast, and after that I was just trying to keep that same pace,” Spamer said of his Gabriel Richard race. “I knew I was definitely pushing it a lot more than usual. We didn't have splits at the second or third mile, so I was hoping that I was going at a pace where I was going to break 15. It definitely felt different than previous races. The weather was the best you could ever have for running that morning. The course was fantastic and super flat and great for PR'ing (setting a personal record). ... When you have an opportunity like that to run that fast, it's a really good opportunity to take because generally cross country weather isn't as good as you hope it (will be). Taking advantage of the conditions really helped me to break 15 minutes.”
Dropping time: “Mainly it's just training in the offseason and just working toward goals that we had set. I have such a great coach that he was able to dedicate his time not just during the season but in the offseason to continue to train us so we're the best that we can be. So just that and the fact that I've been able to have goals to work for, and setting those has helped me get to where I am now – massive improvements from last season.”
Eye on No. 1: “Going into this season my goal was low 15s. But then after Portage, and that was a really big breakout race for me, I knew I definitely had the capability to go even faster. … From aiming for top five in the state, now my goal is pretty much just state champ. Being able to have confidence going into meets in the championship season knowing that you can compete with some of the best guys that are out there, I changed my mindset and now I just know that if the better guys are racing at one pace, I know that I can probably race at the same pace. Going into races with that kind of confidence definitely helps a lot.”
Rivals get us ready: “Being able to have so much great competition in the dual meets that you do during the regular season, you just gain so much experience out of that – especially running against kids that you're going to be running against at some of the biggest meets. Being able to race (Solomon and others) now definitely helps so when you're going into the other meets you're like, ‘OK, I've raced them. I know how they race.’ It's just another confidence builder. When you're running a 5K race, it definitely helps to have a lot of confidence. … We're really cool (with each other). As much as it's fun to compete with them on the course, everyone is great people off the course. We all just kind of talk and joke to each other and stuff. We're all great friends.”
This computes: “I've always been interested in computers and stuff like that since I was little. It's something I'd love to learn more about. Probably stuff to do with coding most likely, or if I look at the computer engineering route building circuits and stuff for computers and components. I'm definitely more of a math and science kind of guy than English.”
– Geoff Kimmerly, Second Half editor
Past honorees
Oct. 10: Kaylee Maat, Hudsonville volleyball - Report
Oct. 3: Emily Paupore, Negaunee cross country - Report
Sept. 26: Josh Mason, South Lyon soccer - Report
Sept. 19: Ariel Chang, Utica Eisenhower golf - Report
Sept. 12: Jordyn Shipps, DeWitt swimming - Report
PHOTOS: (Top) Brighton's Jack Spamer leads the pack at Kensington Metropark on the way to winning the Averill Invitational on Sept. 7. (Middle) Spamer climbs a hill during a meet against Canton and Novi. (Photos courtesy of the Brighton cross country programs.)
Preview: Stage Set for Several Storylines Featuring Past Champs, New Stars
By
Geoff Kimmerly
MHSAA.com senior editor
October 31, 2025
Three returning champions to Saturday’s Lower Peninsula Boys Cross Country Finals are hoping to add to title streaks that already have extended over multiple seasons.
But none of those three is considered the favorite in its respective race – and with only one 2024 individual winner back as well, title opportunities abound at one of the MHSAA’s largest championship events.
At least two contenders hope they’ll be celebrating like it’s the 1950s again – they’re seeking first championships in more than 70 years. Division 4 favorite Maple City Glen Lake is hoping to climb the MIS stage as a team champion for the first time.
See below for several team and individual contenders. The "season bests" list referred to frequently is a ranking list of every runner's best time this season, maintained by Athletic.net. The first boys race, in Division 4, begins at 10:50 a.m.; click here for the full schedule and ticket information.
Additionally, all eight races Saturday at MIS will be streamed live and viewable with subscription on the NFHS Network: Divisions 1 & 2 | Divisions 3 & 4.
Division 1
Reigning champion: Northville
2024 runner-up: Saline
2025 top-ranked: 1. Ann Arbor Pioneer, 2. Northville, 3. Kalamazoo Central.
Northville can become the sixth program in Lower Peninsula history to win a fourth-straight Finals championship – and the first since Dexter won the last of a five consecutive in 2006. Four runners return from last year’s lineup including ninth-place senior Ben Hartigan and 10th-place junior Brandon Cloud. But the rankings call for Pioneer to move up from 14th last season to claim a first team championship since 2017. Five Pioneers are back from last season’s lineup, including eighth-place senior Beckett Crooks – who has run the second-fastest top time (14:48.2) in the state regardless of peninsula or division – and junior Kamari Ronfeldt, who was fourth as a freshman in 2023, wasn’t able to finish last season’s race but enters this one with the top time statewide of 14:47.9. A Kalamazoo Central championship would make for incredible headlines; the Maroon Giants have a Lower Peninsula-record 11 Finals titles in this sport but with their most recent won in 1954. They finished fourth last season and return their top four racers from that lineup, with junior Samuel Baker back after finishing 14th individually and senior Andrew Wright posting the third-fastest top time in Division 1 this fall.
Individuals: A total of 12 of last season’s top 20 placers will return this weekend, led by Canton senior Aiden Pengelly, who finished runner-up a year ago and just 6½ seconds off the lead. Milford senior Kyle O’Rourke also returns after finishing third and just a second behind Pengelly. Joining those two and the others noted above from the 2024 top 20 are Grand Haven juniors Luka Hammond (fifth) and Aron Gal (19th), Howell junior Jack MacGregor (sixth), Kalamazoo Loy Norrix senior Jackson Lam (12th), Utica senior Harper Wesley (15th) and Saline junior Jacob Szalay (16th).
Division 2
Reigning champion: Allendale
2024 runner-up: Ada Forest Hills Eastern
2025 top-ranked: 1. Flint Powers Catholic, 2. Alma, 3. East Grand Rapids.
West Michigan teams have claimed this division three years in a row, and 2022 champ East Grand Rapids is among those expected to be in the mix again. Flint Powers is seeking its first team title since 1999, which would be an incredible story as well as the Chargers sent only two individual qualifiers to the Finals a year ago. Senior Bryce Gross (20th) and sophomore Lennox Naswell (32nd) are both headed back this weekend, and Naswell has run the fourth-fastest top time in the division. Alma is seeking to make a jump from fifth last fall to win what would be a first team title since 1952. Five of the Panthers’ top six from last season will run again, including 14th-place senior Thomas Larson, whose fastest time this fall ranks sixth just behind that of junior teammate Ezekiel Baltierra. East Grand Rapids finished third last year without a senior and the entire lineup is back, paced by fifth-place senior Jonah Workman. Parma Western, ranked No. 5, has a pair of top-20 placers from last year back in senior Edison Lopeman (eighth) and junior Ryan Good (17th), and reigning champion Allendale is ranked No. 13 but also has two top finishers back in junior Mason Hill (ninth) and senior Ronnie Silveira (15th).
Individuals: Workman was the only finisher among the top seven last season who didn’t graduate, and he’ll be considered among favorites along with Whitehall junior Robert Jazwinski III, who has won all of his races this fall, has the fastest time in the Division 2 (14:56.6, with Workman second on the top time list at 14:58.8), and placed third in Division 3 for Hart in 2023. In addition to Workman and the others mentioned above, also back from last year’s top 20 are Adrian senior Moises Salazar Jr. (11th) and Ada Forest Hills Eastern junior Steven Zawacki (18th).
Division 3
Reigning champion: Traverse City St. Francis
2024 runner-up: Saugatuck
2025 top-ranked: 1. Jackson Lumen Christi, 2. Charlevoix, 3. Lansing Catholic.
St. Francis graduated six of its seven runners from last season and will enter this weekend unranked as it races for a third-straight Finals team title. Lumen Christi graduated its top two from last year’s fourth-place team but returns the other five runners as it seeks a first championship since 2012. Charlevoix is running for its first Finals win since finishing a streak of five straight in 1991, and after finishing 14th a year ago with only one senior. Five of the Rayders’ top six runners from that lineup are back, led by ninth-place junior Hunter Eaton – who has the fastest time in Division 3 this season at 15:22.4. Lansing Catholic’s most recent title came in 2015, and the Cougars placed ninth a year ago also with only one senior. They bring back their top three from that lineup and five racers total.
Individuals: Central Montcalm senior Gage Hoffman was the only non-senior among last year’s top four, finishing third, and he has the third-fastest top time in Division 3 this season. Joining him and Eaton back from last year’s top 10 are Jonesville junior Caleb Blonde (fifth), Ithaca senior Landen Styka (sixth) and Flat Rock senior Jacob Stanislawski (eighth). Junior William Ready (11th) is the only St. Francis runner returning. Manton senior Robert Dykhouse (12th), Monroe St. Mary Catholic Central sophomore Christian Craanen (14th), Flat Rock senior Lucas Taraszkiewicz (18th) and Caro junior Luke Herron (20th) also placed among the top 20 last fall, and Rochester Hills Lutheran Northwest sophomore Nole Lorenzen was 21st and has the second-fastest top time (15:24.5) in the division this season.
Division 4
Reigning champion: Hillsdale Academy
2024 runner-up: Holland Calvary
2025 top-ranked: 1. Maple City Glen Lake, 2. Holland Calvary, 3. Hillsdale Academy.
Hillsdale Academy has finished first and Holland Calvary second the last two seasons, and they’re expected to be in the mix again. But Glen Lake is the favorite this time as it pursues a first Finals championship. The Lakers finished third last year and return their second through fifth runners, led by 18th-place junior Abraham Feeney, plus have one of the top freshmen in Spencer McNitt. Holland Calvary ran all sophomores in 2024 to its second-straight runner-up finish, and five are back including Noah Schipper (23rd) and Christian Getz (29th). Hillsdale Academy graduated just two runners after last season and has four runners back including fourth-place senior Grayson Rorick.
Individuals: This field is loaded, with 13 of last year’s top 20 back including the top four placers. Now-senior Marek Butkiewicz is the reigning champion after clinching last year’s race 15 seconds ahead of the field. Royal Oak Shrine Catholic senior Abenezar Cerone is the reigning runner-up, while Three Oaks River Valley senior Landon Rogers was third and Hillsdale Academy’s Rorick fourth. Petoskey St. Michael senior Cody Bradley (seventh), Whitmore Lake senior Landen Livingston (10th), Mesick juniors Kyle Redman (13th) and Ty Redman (20th), Hackett senior Sean Siems (14th), Riverview Gabriel Richard junior Jacob Ferdubinski (15th), Harbor Beach senior Brody Karg (16th), Glen Lake’s Feeney (18th) and Brown City senior Carson Burgess (19th) also are back from the top 20. Butkiewicz (14:59.4) and Cerone (15:25.0) rank first and second, respectively, on the Division 4 top times list.
PHOTO Central Montcalm’s Gage Hoffman crosses the finish line first Saturday at his Division 3 Regional at Bath. (Photo by John Johnson.)