The latest surname making a mark for Hart cross country, track and field

By Brendan Samuels
Local Sports Journal

HART–Anyone familiar with the history of running at Hart High School can probably rattle off a couple of names rather quickly: Ackley and Enns.

But in recent years, that short list has added another name: Jazwinski.

Jessie Jazwinski, heading into her junior campaign for the Pirates, has been nothing short of spectacular. Over her first two years of high school, Jazwinski has bloomed into a top runner not only on her team, but in the state of Michigan and even the nation.

As a freshman, Jazwinski was a member of Hart’s MHSAA Division 3 state champion teams in cross country and track and field. Then, as a sophomore, Jazwinski stepped it up individually.

Knocking a minute off her personal record in the 5K races for cross country, Jazwinski rode that momentum all the way to an individual state championship and an All-State finish. That finish set a state record for sophomores, but it wasn’t long before Jazwinski bested that mark in the MITCA Meet of Champions with a time of 16:47.3.

To wrap up her fall season, Jazwinski made a trip to Kenosha, Wis. where she competed against top runners from 13 states in the CHAMPS Sports Cross Country Championships for the Midwest region. Jazwinski placed fourth with the best time of Michigan runners. And, it qualified her for the national meet in California.

Jazwinski made her presence felt at the national level as well, becoming an All-American with an 11th place finish in San Diego.

“That experience was unbelievable and the first time I’ve ever done any races at the national level,” Jazwinski said. “It was a lot different than racing in Michigan because it was in California, so the terrain was a lot different.”

Then, this last spring, Jazwinski propelled Hart to their second straight track and field state team title. In that outing, she earned All-State in all four of her events while also nabbing an individual state title in the 3,200-meter run.

But Jazwinski wasn’t always racing for medals and accolades. In fact, her journey as a runner began when she was just 13 months old. That’s when she can remember running (or “waddling” as she recalls) her first race – a quick jaunt of 100 meters.

It wasn’t until middle school that she really started to take running seriously. The thought of competing as a sixth grader was exciting, but in eighth grade Jazwinski developed a passion for the sport.

“In eighth grade, I really started to get good at running and that was exciting because my whole family is really into running,” Jazwinski said. “That’s been a super great support system. Having people around me that support me …it was a great scenario.”

That support system starts with her parents Katie and Bob Jazwinski, both of whom are accomplished athletes as well. Both Katie and Bob enjoyed successful high school and college careers as runners.

Katie was the 2002 Big Ten Female Athlete of the Year while at the University of Michigan. She also qualified for the Olympic Trials in five different events.

Having parents that can truly empathize with Jazwinski throughout her journey has been vital.

“My parents can both relate to me. It’s so helpful to have them around because they’re so knowledgeable,” Jazwinski said. “When I’m having a hard time, they know how to help me through it and when I’m doing well they can keep me level headed. Not everybody gets to have parents that have gone through the same things that they are. I’m super grateful to have them.”

Jazwinski and her parents aren’t the only established runners in the family either. Younger brother Bobby is an incoming freshman for Hart

“Just about everything in life is a competition between me and Bobby,” Jazwinski said with a laugh. “It’s not just running, we’ll compete in the morning to see who can get to the bathroom first or who can make the best espresso. It’s always a competition.

“It’s so nice to have him there because I’m always trying to beat him, but he never wants me to beat him. If I do something wrong he learns from it and I learn from him. We work together and it’s a fun experience.”

Both Bobby and Jessie benefit from a running culture at Hart that’s rich with history. A lot of that has to do with the coaches and for Jessie, people like Calvin Ackley and Terry Tatro have been at the forefront of her development.

Tatro, Hart’s cross country coach, boasts a resume that includes five straight titles on the girls side. Ackley just got his second, but the list of runners he’s helped mentor is impressive on its own.

Jazwinski acknowledged that and expressed just how important being a Hart Pirate has been to her success. 

“To be on a team where everyone works toward the same goal is wonderful,” Jazwinski said. “Not all great runners get to be part of a great team. For cross country, I have the Tatros as my coaches and in track it’s Mr. Ackley and they all love running. Having coaches and teammates that love the sport as much as me makes me happy.”

The one thing that doesn’t make Jazwinski happy? When people use the phrase “she’s only a sophomore” when talking about her.

“I don’t like hearing that all the time,” Jazwinski said. “I don’t care if I’m a freshman or a senior, I’m always trying to compete with anyone regardless of their age.”

While running is on her mind often, that doesn’t stop Jazwinski from being a normal teenager. That includes road trips to Detroit to see Taylor Swift on tour back-to-back nights. Jazwinski recently did just that, and according to her mom, wasn’t home until 4 a.m. the night before competing at the GVSU Midwest Redemption Meet in Allendale.

Not to worry, singing her heart out with friends for three hours didn’t do much to hurt her performance. Jazwinski still legged out a 4:49.50 time in the 1,600, a personal record for her.

All of the medals, trophies and accolades are important to Jazwinski, but not as important as making a name for herself. Her biggest goal is to put the last name Jazwinski right next to Ackley and Enns in the mouths of locals.

Jazwinski wants nothing more than to create a legacy for her family, alongside brother Bobby in the coming years. 

“You hear the Ackley and Enns names and see the running community they’ve built. I want my family to be like that too,” Jazwinski said. “They’re all such great runners and I know we can be right there with them. I can’t wait to be on a team with Bobby and see what we can do over the next few years.”