According to Broadmark/Mt. Si Racing team manager Justin Valente:
“15-year-old Jack Spranger is a star. No way to look at him any other way. He comes from a family of integrity and hard work. They all race and exude sportsmanship. Jack can get on any bike and win, thus his multiple podiums in numerous different disciplines.”
In addition to abundant natural athleticism (just look at his relaxed yet focused position on the bike), the Eastlake High School (Sammamish) sophomore has been riding as soon as he could straddle a bike.
“I started cycling by just riding my bike to school and doing jumps on plastic ramps on the sidewalk with neighborhood friends. Eventually, one day my dad took me to the North SeaTac BMX Park when I was 4 and that was where I started racing. Friends that we had made at the BMX track eventually got us to come out to a cyclocross race, and from there we got into mountain biking too.”
Along with Adrian Magun, Jack is coached by mountain biking Mercer Island High School teacher Toby Swanson. Justin Valente works with Jack and the rest of the Broadmark/Mt. Si Racing crew at his studio in Fall City.
“I emphasize strength and balance with specifics for cycling. We do studio workouts as a team-building experience, a bit of competition, and crushing egos. This approach allows the slower kids to best some of the faster guys doing pushups, pikes, blasts etc. These team workouts are not just a ton of fun, they’re beneficial.”
“Jack has a lot of natural talent, but he’s also dedicated to training, sleeping, and focusing on the race. I will take zero credit for his advancement. As a coach/manager I am mainly available to provide an atmosphere to make his life easier. That may be to get him new tires, show him some stretches, or try a new kit. Our team is a bit different than most as we have a huge diversity of racers including parents. We have 3 families with 4 members racing from 5 years old to 46 years old. It is so much fun and inspiring to have the young kids being cheered on by Jack, someone they think is a god.”
Jack says “I really enjoy being a part of Broadmark/Mount Si Racing because of how committed the adults who run it are to helping me and my teammates achieve our goals. Another part that I like about being on a smaller team is how it allows for greater connection with everyone on it and how it just feels like a group of close friends.”
Jack is mainly focused on cycling, but enjoys other activities as well.
“I run during the short offseasons I have from July to September and December to February. I also enjoy walking our 2 dogs. Other than that it’s just bikes. I think the reason I don’t get tired of it though is because I participate in a vast variety of cycling disciplines from cyclocross to cross country mountain biking to enduro.”
In addition to being a member of Broadmark/Mt. Si Racing, Jack is sponsored by Sage Titanium Bicycles in Portland suburb, Beaverton. The connection came from the team’s association with Gerk’s Ski & Cycle, which is a Sage retailer.
Sage’s Dave Rosen:
“The thing that stood out most when I talked with Jack was his poise. He was confident when we first met, but not in a cocky manner. He just had this confidence about him that he knew he could beat whoever he lined up against. I liked that a lot as I find the best athletes are the ones who are motivated to win, not just show up and race. Jack is motivated to win, but in a quiet way that is not off-putting. He is also great about communication and fulfilling his duties as a sponsored athlete with social media posts. It can be difficult at times when working with juniors as they may not fully appreciate the responsibility a brand is placing in them. In this case, Jack is absolutely amazing for staying on top of his responsibilities. He has a very solid work ethic and it comes through in fitness, form, as well as his other responsibilities.”
“Jack is riding our PDXCX cyclocross bike. It is a dedicated cyclocross race bike with the main purpose of being the fastest and most nimble bike out there. Since Jack was dedicating himself to CX, it was a natural choice as opposed to a gravel bike which could do double duty but would not nearly be as efficient. It would be like selecting a butter knife to cut steak. You could do it, but it would not be the right tool for the job. Our PDXCX is a steak knife that slices through anything that gets under its blade. As for feedback, I do ask that of Jack, and he is free to offer it as things happen in racing situations. I value his opinion as he is at the front of the race and can tell me what is working and what is not working. Luckily, he really likes the bike so the feedback overall has been positive.”
“From a sponsor perspective, I do not like to place pressure on my riders. They have enough going on that they don’t need me to tell them what to do. That being said, and based on his current trajectory, I would love to see him competing for the wins as he continues to age up into new categories. He has both the engine and the technical skillset to hang with the truly elite riders. I saw it first hand this year at the Cross Crusade Series at Alpenrose Dairy where he took 3rd on the first day and 4th on the second day. The guys he was racing against were much older and included former professionals. For someone his age to be staying with those riders is unbelievable.”
Having competed in select races at the national level (he recently won the Cincy Kings CX Boys Under 19), Jack is starting to set his sights on international level competition.
“In 2019 I would like to win cyclocross nationals for my age group. Same for mountain bike nationals. Beyond that though I would like to be a member of the national team for cyclocross and mountain bike and race in Europe.”
Do his schoolmates understand the significance of his athletic accomplishments?
“Somewhat, but since most people are unfamiliar with cycling and the various disciplines they can be confused when I first tell them. I think with the growing popularity of National Interscholastic Cycling Association (NICA), the Washington Student Cycling League and other high school cycling leagues, cycling, especially mountain biking, is becoming more popular.”
Although the adults around him credit Jack’s dedication, he says it’s all about fun.
“My advice to anyone but especially youth for cycling is to always keep it fun. You need to enjoy the process and not just the end result because wins only come so often. If you don’t have passion, you won’t be able to do the hard work it takes to get those results. And at the end of the day, that’s why we all ride, because we enjoy it.”
Race Highlights:
2019 Cincy Kings CX Boys Under 19 – 1st
2019 Stottlemeyer 30 MTB – Elite Men – 1st
2018 MTB Nationals XC – 13-14 Boys – 2nd
2019 MTB Nationals Enduro – 15-18 boys – 3rd
2019 & 2018 Cross Revolution North SeaTac – Elite Men- 1st
2018 CX Nationals – 15-16 boys – 6th
2018 6th place CX Nationals (15-16)
2018 2nd place MTB Nationals XC (13-14)
2018 1st place Scott Enduro Cup Deer Valley (U18)
2016 CX Nationals – 13-14 Boys – 3rd
Coach Valente: “Jack will excel and flourish. At 15 he shows more character than most of the masters I race with. He keeps his cool and understands the importance of being patient and using his brain while racing. His dad is a spectacular racer who also holds pride and integrity very high. Cal has been an immense support for the team and his children. I feel blessed to have the family involved with Broadmark/Mt. Si Racing.”
