KALAMAZOO, MI - Step by step and mile by mile, Jackson Lam has climbed up the rungs of Loy Norrix's cross country ladder.
And he's bringing his Knights teammates with him.
Setting the tone with unmatched dedication and commitment to running craft, Lam has soared to being one Loy Norrix's fastest runners, but also one of the state's best -- which has only inspired his running circle to elevate their game.
"He's definitely motivated a lot of the younger kids to make them realize what is possible," Loy Norrix cross country coach Brad Schmidt said. "He's showing that just because we're Loy Norrix and we don't have the high-class name of some other schools when it comes to cross country, it doesn't mean we still can't compete by working hard and doing all the little things. It's motivated a lot of our younger kids to start putting in more of the longer miles, and doing one more rep on the workout just because Jackson did one more rep.
"If he can do it, then the other kids are motivated to do just as much, if not more."
That type of full tilt, no-quit mentality is a massive reason why Lam is one of the fastest runners in all of Division 1. The junior won a pair of meets last month and notched a new personal-best (15:34.7) at the Jackson Invitational, which was good for sixth place, and the Knights' fastest time this century, according to athletic.net.
It's also the eighth fastest time in Division 1.
"His work ethic is really strong, and he puts in a ton of winter and summer miles," Schmidt said. "He does workouts beyond what I'm asking of him, and he's got a real strong support system. His parents were both strong runners and they do a good job of making sure he eats well, sleeps well and does all the little things to be successful."
That success hasn't gone unnoticed amongst the Loy Norrix community. Lam ran away with MLive/Kalamazoo Gazette Athlete of the Week honors, grabbing an astonishing 17,444 of the 33,629 votes to earn nearly 52 percent of the final poll.
Portage Central soccer player Eli Greenwald finished runner-up with 8,881 votes (26 percent), while Plainwell golfer Ayla Jaeger took third with 2,188 votes (7 percent).
After getting his first taste of the state finals last fall, Lam has only gone to another level in 2024 as he's placed in the top 5 in six of the seven races including a third-place finish at last weekend's Otsego Bulldog Invitational.
"He's really started to put in more mileage in the offseason and during the season and it's just been that accumulation of training," Schmidt said. "I think now he knows the courses better; he knows his training better and he understands the process more."
Getting a good grasp on what it takes to succeed, Schmidt said that Lam is a joy to be around for a multitude of reasons.
"He's one of the best kids I've ever coached and that's not just talent or speed wise," Loy Norrix coach Brad Schmidt said. "It's his leadership and how nice he is. He's nice to competitors and teammates alike and is always positive and upbeat. It's always about helping not only himself, but kids on the team."
Now with the home stretch of the season looming, Lam has his sights set on making a big splash when the lights are brightest.
And notch another rung in his cross country ladder.
"He would definitely love to win the region and the conference, and I think both of those are well within his ability," Schmidt said. "And then from there, I think he'd love to qualify for the state finals and become an all-state runner."