You could say he was born to run with a high school career in cross country that is hard to beat.

On this episode of the Supercast, meet Jackson Spencer who was recently named the National Gatorade Player of the Year in Boys Cross Country. Find out what sets Spencer apart from others in his sport, and how his love for running is paving a path for future success, possibly in the Olympics.

Audio Transcription

Anthony Godfrey:
You are the first in Jordan School District.

Jackson Spencer:
I think it's pretty awesome just to be able to bring another level of excellence into this school district.

Anthony Godfrey:
How much do you run in a week?

Jackson Spencer:
In a week, at this point, probably around 50. Fifty miles a week.

Anthony Godfrey:
Fifty miles a week.

Jackson Spencer:
Yeah. I just like the feeling of pushing that body to the fastest limits.

[Music]

Anthony Godfrey
Hello and welcome to The Supercast. I'm your host, Superintendent Anthony Godfrey. You could say he was born to run with a high school career in cross country that is hard to beat. On this episode of The Supercast, meet Herriman High School's Jackson Spencer, who was recently named the National Gatorade Player of the Year in Boys Cross Country. Find out what sets Spencer apart from others in his sport, and how his love for running is paving a path for future success, quite possibly in the Olympics.

[Music]

Anthony Godfrey
We are here today at Herriman High School talking with Jackson Spencer, the Gatorade National Boys Cross Country Player of the Year. Jackson, thanks for taking a few minutes to talk with us.

Jackson Spencer:
Of course, yeah. Thanks for having me.

Anthony Godfrey
Tell me what it feels like to be the National Gatorade Player of the Year. You are the first in Jordan School District.

Jackson Spencer:
I think it's pretty awesome just to be able to bring another level of excellence into this school district, and to be able to set the bar just a little bit higher.

Anthony Godfrey:
Now, you had a race just this last weekend where you conquered once again. Talk to us about that.

Jackson Spencer:
Yeah, it was super fun. I was up against a lot of good competition from Utah and Idaho, and it's at the Simplot Games, which I really like. But yeah, it was kind of a race for me to just see back into what fitness I was in. I think it actually went really nicely, way better than I expected, so it went well.

Anthony Godfrey:
So how did it go better? Just ultimate time? I know with cross country it's always about the course and the course conditions, and the competition and all of that. Talk us through the race a little bit.

Jackson Spencer:
The time, I think it's more about time on the track. Yeah, I put down a consistent solid effort, and I was able to go out and hold it, which I'm really happy about. I got a really good time better than what I was expecting.

Anthony Godfrey:
Could you see the people behind you coming in second, or how far ahead? What were you?

Jackson Spencer:
Well, after I finished, I looked back and saw them coming in.

Anthony Godfrey:
So you had a good little distance between you and the next kids down the road. What do you do to prepare for a race? What do you do to be at your best and be ready to go?

Jackson Spencer:
I'll make sure to get a really good night's sleep for 9 to 10 hours, and then I'll make sure I eat. I always eat oatmeal, and then I'll do this thing that I'll drink. It's called beetroot powder. I drink that, and it's better. It's good for oxygen consumption in the blood.

Anthony Godfrey:
Beetroot powder?

Jackson Spencer:
Yeah, beetroot powder. Its got lots of nitrates.

Anthony Godfrey:
I've seen the Tik Tok videos, but you're much more persuasive. So you do beetroot powder, oatmeal, and 9 to 10 hours of sleep. Is it ever hard to make sure you get that sleep if you're anticipating a race and thinking it through, or are you well trained at getting good rest as well?

Jackson Spencer:
I've been to a few of these races, but there's definitely some times when it's just I get too excited to go to sleep, but most of the time I can get some good rest. After that, I will eat my lunch, and then I've got my race.

Anthony Godfrey:
Now, the Gatorade Award, does that include having blue Gatorade dumped on top of you when I give you the trophy?

Jackson Spencer:
I'm really glad that they didn't do that.

Anthony Godfrey:
Well, you probably could have run very quickly and gotten away from them after trying to do that. Tell me about receiving the award. You received it from an Olympic runner.

Jackson Spencer:
Yeah, Grant Fisher. I think, if I'm not mistaken, he held a world record in the 3K, which is really cool. Or it might have been the 2-mile.

Anthony Godfrey:
You have your eye on the Olympics, I assume.

Jackson Spencer:
Of course.

Anthony Godfrey:
And talk to us about the timeline for that. How will that work for you?

Jackson Spencer:
Yeah. So I'm going to be going on a mission after I graduate high school. So yeah, that'll be two years. And then the first Olympic cycle, there'll be an Olympic cycle literally right off of my mission, which I don't think I'll make just because I'll be on a lack of training and of experience as well.

Anthony Godfrey:
I mean, if you stay with your companion, you can only run as fast as he can run. So that's going to slow you down significantly.

Jackson Spencer:
A little bit.

Anthony Godfrey:
So there will be the opportunity right after your mission, potentially.

Jackson Spencer:
And then there's the way more realistic opportunity right after college four years later. I think that's 2032 Olympics. Yeah, I'm going to be shooting for those ones. That'll be right after I graduate college.

Anthony Godfrey:
And age-wise and timing-wise, is that about the right time for you to be competing?

Jackson Spencer:
Yeah, I think I'd be 24.

Anthony Godfrey:
So for those runners out there, talk to me about the different events that you compete in with track and with cross-country and the different distances and where you're really at your best.

Jackson Spencer:
So I can do a lot of different distances, or at least I've done a lot of different distances, anywhere from like the 400 all the way up to the, I've done the 8K for a race so far. So I'll start small, like the 400, that's a sprint event. That's one lap around the track. I only do it usually in relays when my team needs me. 48.6 for that. I got the 800, that one is, that's a two-lap race. It's a sprint, but it's like really a hard to maintain sprint. So yeah, you get two, I already said that, two laps on the track. And then I usually do that one for some open and then also lots of relays. And then my time for that is 149.9. Then I got the mile or like the 1600. It's more common, 1600 in high school. That's four laps around the track. That's the one where everyone tries to break four. And my time in that right now is four flat.

Anthony Godfrey:
Four flat. So is that your goal to cut it right below four?

Jackson Spencer:
Yeah, sure.

Anthony Godfrey:
Have you ever done that outside of competition?

Jackson Spencer:
Oh no, only in, see, up at altitude it's a lot harder to run that fast. My best time was down at sea level where there's more oxygen in the air to consume. So yeah, I train up here so it's really hard to do such a thing. But we'll see maybe this year.

Anthony Godfrey:
Maybe this year. I like your chances. So being in Utah, the thin air really prepares you so that when you're at sea level, you're at your best.

Jackson Spencer:
Yeah.

Anthony Godfrey:
And so your goal is under four at the 1600. Is 1600 the same as a mile? I

Jackson Spencer:
The mile is about eight meters longer so it's like a second. My best mile is 4:02.

Anthony Godfrey:
Okay. Close.

Jackson Spencer:
Yeah, and then I got the 3200 which is, that's eight laps around the track. That's pretty much like a long-distance event or, yeah, it's long distance to me at least. And then that was...

Anthony Godfrey:
And what's your time for eight laps?

Jackson Spencer:
8:50 that I actually just got at Simplot. That was my personal best.

Anthony Godfrey:
Wow.

Jackson Spencer:
Yeah.

Anthony Godfrey:
And any time you're racing, you're racing against the other people on the track or on the course, but you're also trying for your best time ever, right? Your personal best.

Jackson Spencer:
Yeah, and then, so 5K, I've only done that... Well, on track I've only done that a few times, but my best on the track is 14:15. That's like... I did it on an indoor track so that's actually 25 laps.

Anthony Godfrey:
25 laps?

Jackson Spencer:
On a normal track it's 12 and a half.

Anthony Godfrey:
Okay.

Jackson Spencer:
And then in cross country my best, I did it on the California State course. I did 14:16. I actually took the record.

Anthony Godfrey:
So really it's, am I beating the people that are on the track? Am I earning a personal best and am I breaking the record?

Jackson Spencer:
Yeah.

Anthony Godfrey:
Really you've got a lot of different times you're racing against. I'm getting a little short of breath just listening to these times and listening to these...