'Lapeer Through and Through,' Schmidt Surpasses Half-Century in Coaching
By
Paul Costanzo
Special for MHSAA.com
April 2, 2025
Manny Schmidt still wants to be at track practice.
After 50-plus years coaching in Lapeer, the man they call Coach Manny has not lost his love for helping student-athletes – and at this rate, he might go another 50.
“I told my wife years ago that the first day I don’t feel like going to practice, that I’d rather be somewhere else, that’s the day I’m done,” Schmidt said. “And it hasn’t happened yet. Obviously, you have bad days and things like that. But track, and right now practice, it just keeps me going.”
Schmidt, who is the head boys track & field coach at Lapeer, began coaching track as an assistant in 1974, and has remained there – and Lapeer East, then back at Lapeer when the schools merged back together – ever since. On Friday, April 11, he will be honored at an event at Lightning Rounds in Lapeer for his years of service to Lapeer athletes. The event begins at 7:30 p.m., following the Lapeer Lightning Co-Ed Relays.
“Manny has been a staple of Lapeer Athletics through many different renditions over the years,” Lapeer athletic director Shad Spilski said. “His willingness to help student-athletes grow and achieve their goals is all he wants out of his athletes. Manny spends, and has spent, countless hours over several decades providing athletes multiple opportunities to hone their skills. He not only coaches, but he is one of Lapeer athletes’ biggest fans and supporters. You will always find him at other sporting events cheering on athletes and his coaching colleagues. He truly is Lapeer through and through.”
Schmidt came to Lapeer to teach English in December of 1972 after graduating from Western Michigan University. He had attended high school at St. Joseph Catholic, and was unfamiliar with Lapeer.
But it didn’t take long for him to fall in love with the school community after receiving the assignment.
“Almost immediately,” he said. “I started in December; the teacher had left and I got the job in December. Three days later, they had a staff Christmas party that I got invited to, and all of my close friends over the years, many of them, I guess, I met at that party.”
Coaching was always something Schmidt wanted to do. He played basketball and ran track in high school, and had a basketball coach who made a big impact on his life. He wanted to do the same for others.
In the spring of 1974, during his first full year of teaching English at Lapeer, he got that chance as the assistant track coach. He has since coached cross country – working to start the Lapeer East girls program in the 1990s – junior varsity football and middle school basketball. He also served as a basketball official for more than 30 years.
“I just liked being part of it,” he said.
Throughout his five decades coaching track, Schmidt has worked with athletes in every event. While middle and long distance are what he’s long enjoyed coaching, he’s currently working with the Lapeer throwers and high jumpers, as head cross country coaches Russ Reitz and Bill Spruytte are also coaching track.
“In our program, we have four of us (Schmidt, Reitz, Spruytte and Anthony Merlo), and we all have equal voice, we all coach together,” Schmidt said. “On any given day, and that’s the nice thing, I could be with anything. I could be with the hurdlers.”
This past year, Schmidt returned to the Lapeer cross country staff as an assistant, saying he was honored that the current coaches respected him enough to call him back.
But for them, it was an honor to have him.
“Working with Manny is like having access to decades of knowledge,” said fellow cross country assistant Christine Cerny. “It is such a privilege to be able to draw from that and learn from that myself. It’s so awesome to be able to coach alongside him after he has coached my kids.”
During his time, Schmidt has coached multiple generations of Lapeer families, including his own. His children Corrinne and Jennifer both ran for him, as did his grandchildren Morgan, Mason and Colton.
And by his side the entire time has been his wife, Val, who worked as a scorekeeper during meets.
“When I started coaching, she would be the person at all our home cross country meets and all our home track meets who sat there and kept track by hand,” Schmidt said. “Probably the happiest person with this new technology is my wife – now she doesn’t have to do it. When we have invites, she’ll do medals and stuff like that.”
Technological changes have been abundant for high school athletes over the past five decades, not just in competition but outside of it. Schmidt recalls returning to Lapeer from away meets and having athletes line up at the school’s two payphones to call their parents.
“Now, when we get back, everyone has called home and their rides are there waiting,” Schmidt said.
Throughout his time, Schmidt has done plenty of winning and coached several athletes who have moved on to compete at the college level. But the relationships he’s created are what he values most.
“Nobody’s luckier than I am with where I taught and where I coached, and who I’ve coached with over the years,” Schmidt said. “You have to look forward to going to work, and I hate to use the word ‘work’ with coaching. It is, I guess. But there’s just so much good with it.”
Paul Costanzo served as a sportswriter at The Port Huron Times Herald from 2006-15, including three years as lead sportswriter, and prior to that as sports editor at the Hillsdale Daily News from 2005-06. He can be reached at [email protected] with story ideas for Genesee, Lapeer, St. Clair, Sanilac, Huron, Tuscola, Saginaw, Bay, Arenac, Midland and Gladwin counties.
PHOTOS (Top) Clockwise from the top left: (1) Manny Schmidt (standing, second from left) coaches the Lapeer White Junior High girls basketball team. (2) Schmidt, top middle, takes a photo with Lapeer’s boys track & field team last spring. (3) Schmidt, left, has coached three of his grandchildren including Morgan Turk. (4) Schmidt, far left, takes a photo with the 2011 Lapeer East cross country teams. (5) Schmidt, standing far right, coaches Michelle Brundage during the 1991 Meet of Champions. (Middle) Schmidt looks on during an event. (Photos provided by the Lapeer athletic department.)
Preview: Prepare for Unpredictable as Contenders Abound for LP Boys Titles
By
Geoff Kimmerly
MHSAA.com senior editor
May 30, 2025
There’s at least one common possibility among the four MHSAA Lower Peninsula Boys Track & Field Finals to be competed Saturday in the Grand Rapids area.
All four could be closely contested with points spread across several contenders and single standouts setting the pace for the eventual champions.
That’s just one prognosis for this season’s championship meets, which are tougher to forecast than usual based on expectations for returning contenders and several others who have impressed this spring.
All four LP Finals will begin with pole vault and long jump beginning at 9 a.m., followed by race semifinals and the 3,200 relay at 10 a.m. and the rest of the running finals starting at noon. Tickets cost $11 and are available digitally only via GoFan.
MHSAA.tv will live-stream all four meets beginning at 10 a.m., viewable with subscription. Check out the Boys Track & Field page for meet information for all four sites and lists of all qualifiers. Those described as "seeded" below have received those seeds based on Regional performances or meeting early qualification standards.
Below is a glance at team contenders and individuals to watch in all four divisions:
Division 1 at East Kentwood
Team forecast: Kalamazoo Central’s first team title last spring since 1965 gave Division 1 its fifth different champion over the last five seasons. Belleville could rely on its sprint and hurdles power to become the sixth in six seasons as it pursues a first Finals title. Northville, with strength in the distance events, also is a first-time title possibility, especially if this meet sees scoring spread among several contenders.
Jeremy Dixon, Kalamazoo Central senior: After leading last year’s team title charge with an individual title in the 100, runner-up finish in the 200 and running on two scoring relays, he’ll return as the top seed in the 100 (10.56) and set to run the 200 and as part of two relays again.
Reece Emeott, East Kentwood junior: Last season’s pole vault champion by nine inches is the top seed in that event (15-8) by five.
Schmar Gamble, Belleville junior: He’s back after winning the 110 hurdles and just missing scoring in the 100 dash last season, this time seeded second in the 110 hurdles (13.69) and running the 100 dash and on two relays including the top-seeded 800 (1:26.01).
Quincy Isaac, Canton senior: The two-time reigning long jump champion is top-seeded in that event (25-2¼) by more than two feet and also fourth-seeded in the 100 and expected to run on a relay.
Will (Jaiden) Smith, Belleville senior: He finished fourth in the 110 hurdles, second in the 300 hurdles, just missed scoring in the 200 and contributed to a scoring 800 relay last season, but could enjoy an even mightier final high school meet. He’s seeded first in the 110 (13.53) and 300 (36.94), second in the 200 (21.11) and will run on a relay.
Division 2 at Hamilton
Team forecast: Berrien Springs and Corunna have taken turns winning the last three championships, the Shamrocks winning last year’s with Corunna finishing runner-up. While Berrien Springs looks like a possibility again especially in a wide-open meet, there are others with opportunities. River Rouge scored just one point at last year’s Finals, but could win four events. Parma Western has potential scorers across several after tying for fifth last season.
Declin Doroh, Stevensville Lakeshore sophomore: The reigning high jump champion is back as a sophomore with the top seed (6-10) and also could run on his team’s 800 relay.
Kaden Griffiths, Stevensville Lakeshore sophomore: He won long jump and ran on two relays as a freshman, and also is back as a top seed – by more than a foot in the long jump (23-7¾). He’ll also run the 400.
Adam Huff, Wayland senior: He back to throw the discus after winning that event and finishing 10th in the shot put a year ago.
Sam Vesperman, Grosse Ile senior: He’s won the pole vault the last two seasons and is seeded third (14-0) this weekend.
Conan Weeks, Clare junior: He won the long jump last season in Division 3 and will make a run at Division 2 titles in that event and seeded second in the 300 hurdles (39.83) while also running on two relays.
DJ Wood, Battle Creek Harper Creek junior: After qualifying for the 110 hurdles last season, he’s expected to make a move on multiple titles seeded first in that race (14.28) and the 300 hurdles (39.27) and running on two relays.
Division 3 at Kent City
Team forecast: Nine schools have won this division once over the last nine seasons, with Pewamo-Wesphalia first and Clare (now in Division 2) second a year ago. The Pirates should be in the mix again and might be the favorites. But Chesaning should be right there and Traverse City St. Francis with its distance crew has a chance to contend in a lower-scoring meet.
Mason Mayne, Lawton senior: Last season’s champion in the discus and runner-up in the shot put is seeded first in both at 185-6 and 61-3, respectively.
Tayden Redding, Warren Michigan Collegiate junior: He won the high jump, placed sixth in the 110 hurdles and just missed scoring in the 300 hurdles last season and is back competing in all three including as the top high jump seed (6-8).
Cicarella Santino, Grosse Pointe Woods University Liggett senior: He finished fourth in the 100 and second in the 200 last season and is top-seeded in both (10.62 and 21.66, respectively) and second-seeded in the 400 (49.78).
Trevor Smith, Pewamo-Westphalia senior: The reigning champion in the 100 and fifth-place finisher in the 200 last year is seeded second in the 100 (10.71) and 200 (21.89) this time and will run on two top-three seeded relays.
Tryce Tokar, Ovid-Elsie senior: He’ll pursue his fourth pole vault championship and is seeded first (15-0) by nearly half a foot. He’ll also run on three relays including the top-seeded 800 (1:30.35).
Max Ward, Elk Rapids senior: He’ll seek to repeat in the 300 hurdles as the top seed (38.74) and also is fifth-seeded in the 110 hurdles after finishing third in that race last season.
Division 4 at Hudsonville Baldwin Middle School
Team forecast: Fowler broke Kalamazoo Hackett Catholic Prep’s two-year hold on the title last year with its first since 1988 and could follow its hurdles and relay contenders to a repeat. But Southfield Christian (11th last season) could be dominant in the sprints and Riverview Gabriel Richard (12th) has relay power. Hackett’s distance standouts could make this close as well as they look to jump back up from third a year ago.
Marek Butkiewicz, Kalamazoo Hackett Catholic Prep junior: He won the 3,200, was second in the 1,600 and ran on the winning 3,200 relay last season. He’s seeded first in the 1,600 (4:18.18) and 3,200 (9:16.90) and also will run the 800 and as part of the top-seeded 3,200 relay (8:08.46).
Brady Feldpausch, Fowler senior: He played a massive role in the Eagles’ team title last year with a win in the 110 hurdles, runner-up finish in the 300 and competing on two championship relays. He’s seeded first in the 110 (14.47), second in the 300 (38.98) and could again run on two relays including the top-seeded 1,600 (3:24.42).
Oliver Long, Morrice junior: The reigning shot put champion is seeded first (56-6¼) by nearly six feet and also will throw the discus and run on a relay.
Brock Morris, Southfield Christian senior: He was fifth in the 400 and ran on two top-six relays last season, and this weekend he could lead a team title pursuit seeded first in the 200 (22.17) and 400 (48.65) and running on the top-seeded 800 (1:29.86) and second-seeded 1,600 (3:27.68) relays.
Bradley Richards, Muskegon Catholic Central/Fruitport Calvary Christian senior: The 2023 champion in the high jump – and runner-up last season – is back for Calvary Christian as part of this cooperative program with MCC and seeded first (6-7).
PHOTO From left, University Liggett’s Cicarella Santino, Pewamo-Westphalia’s Trevor Smith and Dearborn Advanced Tech’s Cobey Cureton run a 100-meter preliminary race at the LPD3 Finals last season. All three will return this weekend. (Photo by Jamie McNinch/RunMichigan.com.)