Zingsheim's Story an Award-Winner
May 31, 2012
By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor
Zack Zingsheim’s career highlight is an easy pick.
It was just a few months ago, at Michigan International Speedway, when he stunned even himself by winning the MHSAA Division 3 cross country championship.
He can describe in vivid detail being the last to come out of the chute at the finish, looking into the grandstand and telling himself to always remember the moment. He can see again his teammates further down the chute, chanting his name. The goose bumps he felt. How they jumped the fence, lifted him to their shoulders and carried him off the course.
It was the greatest day he could remember. And it ended with a pie in the face.
“I remember how surreal the moment was,” he said. “Since I was a little kid, I thought it would be so cool to win the state meet for cross country; the atmosphere is so amazing.”
Nearly as amazing is he doesn’t remember the flavor of the pie.
Zingsheim tells a story with the best of them – thanks in part to a keen photographic memory and attention to detail.
But he gets a Second Half High 5 this week because of his status as one of the state’s top high school runners – and what a tale he’s spun over the last year.
Zingsheim has the top-seeded Division 3 time in the 800 meters (1:55.30) heading into Saturday’s Finals at Comstock High School, and also runs on the top-seeded 800, 1,600 and 3,200 relays. He and his teammates won the 800 relay at last season’s Finals, and he has or is part of school records in all four of those races, plus the 400. He’s also the fastest in Cougars cross country history.
Another of his favorite stories to tell explains why.
Diamond in the rough
He remembers seeing the Corunna baseball diamond in the distance. That’s key to this story.
Zingsheim was a freshman in 2009, running the second leg of the 800 relay, and had just taken the baton. His right hip had been feeling tight and then painful over the previous couple of weeks, but he felt great at that point as he glanced ahead and saw the baseball field.
The next step, he felt like he got hit with a baseball square in the right hip. But there was no baseball.
He tried to bring the leg forward, and couldn’t. He dragged his leg the next 100 meters to complete his handoff, and then collapsed.
Zingsheim did see a “flabby piece of bone just laying there.” He started crying. His parents immediately drove him to the hospital as he screamed the lyrics to whatever was on the radio to try to forget the pain. (And yes, he remembered one off the songs: “Boom Boom Pow” by the Black Eyed Peas.)
The flexor muscle that connected his hamstring to his pelvis had torn and taken the top of that part of his pelvic bone with it.
Next came months of therapy and changes. He’d started on the freshman basketball team, but decided to stop that sport and focus on running. Still, he couldn’t get in shape that summer because he couldn’t put in the miles, and his sophomore cross country season wasn’t what he’d wanted – until he ran a personal best late in the season and got a needed confidence boost.
“There’s something so special about being able to run so hard and seeing hard work come to fruition on the course or the track,” Zingsheim said. “And especially, seeing how far I had to come. I wanted to see what kind of runner I could become if I put all that work in.”
His 1,600 relay finished eighth at the 2010 Division 3 Finals, another turning point. A year later, Lansing Catholic coach Tim Simpson needed a fill-in on the 800 relay. The date was April 13, 2011 – a day shy of two years since he’d suffered the pelvic break. “I’ve never been so nervous for another race,” he said. But the Cougars set a school record, and he’s been on that relay since.
A long road traveled
“He’s come a long way, but he’s always had that ability,” Simpson said. “He ran 50-70 miles a week during the summer. He reads about the top runners, follows it, so he know what they’re doing, what you’re supposed to do if you’re going to be good.”
There’s always an eye on the details; Zingsheim’s got a reputation among his classmates as the guy who always is last to turn in his tests. He gets done quickly, but spends the rest of the period double and triple-checking his answers to make sure everything is right.
There are plenty of other stories, of course. Like how he and his talented classmates – Lansing Catholic’s senior boys also played in the Division 5 Football Final in the fall – split up during middle school into football teams that stayed the same for months and turned into fierce rivalries. (He played receiver.)
He’s earned the story-teller role in his family too; at gatherings he’s often the go-to guy for a “quirky” or “goofy” family tale.
But the stories he’ll be most proud to be part of are those that get passed down to Lansing Catholic runners after him.
Zingsheim was in first grade when his brother Brandon was a senior on the cross country and track teams and began the Cougars’ tradition of saying a “Hail Mary” and chanting “Hey Cougars, what we going to do?” Zack is among those who now lead that rally.
Lansing Catholic had outstanding runners before Zingsheim. But with him and a strong group of individuals including distance seniors Jimmy Hicks (who will walk-on at the University of Georgia), Austin Winter and Joe Marrah, they could cap their careers with the team’s first MHSAA championship.
“What I really wanted to do by the time my tenure was done was lay a foundation. Build the program; do things the right way,” Zingsheim said. “I wanted to teach guys what it means to be an LCC runner.
“The last four years, we’ve really been able to build that program. … And I’m so excited to see where the program is going the next couple of years.”
Click to read more about Zingsheim's inspirations and aspirations.
PHOTO: Lansing Catholic's Zack Zingsheim was part of the championship-winning 800 relay at last season's Division 3 Final.
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.)