Jim Brandt – 2022

Inducted: 2022

SPORTS: Coach – Grand Ledge High School (Football-3 years; Basketball-10 years; Cross Country-19 years; Track-30 years.

HONORS:
Cross Country – Originated the All Class Greater Lansing Invitational Cross Country Meet
66 consecutive dual meet wins
11 CAC Championships in 12 years
3 Regional Championships, 6 All-State runners
6 All-Region runners, Lansing State Journal Coach of the Year (1994)

Track – 2 championships, West Central League
1 championship
7 Eaton County Track Championships in 11 years
Michigan Interscholastic Track Coaches Association (MITCA) nominee for Class A Coach of the Year (1996)
Eddy Award recipient for contributing to the advancement of the sport of Track and Field in mid Michigan.

Comments:
Cross Country:
The athletes loved to compete for him as was evidenced by the size of his teams. His teams had from the high 20’s to the mid 30’s in runner numbers each year

Two outstanding and prominent area coaches who were influenced by Jim Brandt are: 1) Denny Myers (deceased) – (formerly at Lansing Community College and Rend Lake CC). Highly successful and nationally know coach. Denny is the holder of nine national Cross Country titles. 2) Kim Spalsbury (Fowler High School and currently Grand Ledge High School). Kim coached state championships in both Cross Country and Track at Fowler.

Track: Jeff Kus was one of Jim’s outstanding track athletes – High jump 7’0” and long jump 22’ 2 ¼”. Jeff placed second in the high school pentathlon at the national scholastic Indoor Track and Field Championships held in Boston, MA