After 58 (!) years, Pioneer’s Coach Don Sleeman continues to share his love of cross country with students

He’s celebrating his team’s second-place finish and Kamari Ronfeldt’s first-place individual run at the Nov. 1 state finals

By Jo Mathis/AAPS District News Editor

Don Sleeman has been the men’s cross country coach at Pioneer High School for the past 58 years—and that’s not a typo.

When Sleeman, then just 30, interviewed and accepted the role of social studies teacher and cross country coach in a single afternoon, Lyndon B. Johnson was president, and student protests against the Vietnam War filled the headlines.

Back then, Pioneer’s track program had two coaches, but in 1969 Sleeman stepped up to guide the distance runners. A year later, he became an assistant track coach when one of the existing coaches left for Indiana. By 1974, Sleeman took the helm as head track coach after his colleague resigned to pursue football.

Since then, Sleeman has coached three seasons every year, making him a fixture across the school’s athletic calendar.

Now 87, Sleeman uses two canes to get around and hasn’t been able to run alongside his athletes for years. But he keeps a sharp eye on all 40 of them, tracking each runner’s progress with the same attention to detail that has defined his long and hugely successful career.

His institutional knowledge and memory for details and stats, such as who ran how well in which year, is also impressive.

Pioneer Athletic Director Eve Claar says Sleeman is a coaching legacy whose dedication and commitment to his athletes may never be duplicated, nor may his profound impact on the sport itself.

“Don Sleeman has been the cornerstone of the Pioneer Track and Cross Country programs for over half a century,” says Claar.  ” We are appreciative of his leadership and for the difference he has made in the lives of the student-athletes that he has coached.”  

His assistant coach of 12 years, Josh Salvner, who was one of his Pioneer runners before graduating in 2002, calls Sleeman “dedicated and tough.”
“I’ve learned a ton about certainly track, but also life as well,” says Salvner. “He has a lot to share.”

Sleeman says the reason he’s coached for so long is simple: “I just like doing it.”

Coaching career has continued 30 years beyond teaching

Sleeman took advantage of a round of buyouts and retired from teaching in 1995. But everything within him wanted to continue doing what he loved best: coaching kids of all abilities to run their best.

Don Sleeman’s journey to Pioneer began in 1968 when he was at Eastern Michigan University, pursuing a master’s in education and working as a graduate assistant for Bob Parks, an EMU Hall of Fame coach. Before that, Sleeman had served in the Air Force and the Peace Corps. By the age of 30, he was ready to settle down, find a steady job, and coach—something he wanted more than anything else.

His first team had just 14 runners, mostly juniors. Sleeman quickly brought a new level of challenge and training to the program, pushing his athletes beyond their comfort zones.

“Their eyes popped open,” he says, recalling his introduction to more rigorous workouts and higher expectations.

In a sign of things to come, they finished 11th in the state that year.

Growing up a runner

Sleeman’s own running career was hardly straightforward. Growing up in Fenton, he would run home from the local swimming hole because he simply enjoyed it, long before running was a common pastime. His high school didn’t offer cross country, so he played football until a knee injury sidelined him, then turned to track.
After high school, he ran in the Air Force, winning mile and three-mile titles in the Tactical Air Command. At Flint Junior College, he won a national cross country championship and a national two-mile title, then continued his running success at EMU, where he earned his master’s degree in education.

Sleeman once ran with his teams—especially after he quit smoking at the age of 38, but it eventually became clear their pace would leave him trailing.

Freshmen runners praise their coach

Recently, a group of freshmen runners eagerly shared their thoughts about Coach Sleeman, each one a testament to his impact on their young running careers.

“I think that Sleeman’s a great coach,” said Shane. “He’s really helped me improve, and he’s also really helping with my confidence in how I run.”

Sebastian echoed that sentiment, emphasizing the coach’s mentorship. “He’s a great leader, he’s a great confidence builder, and he really has taught me the most about running. I’ve learned so much this season, so much more than I knew before.”

The results speak for themselves: Sebastian improved his 5K time by three minutes this season.

Sebastian’s father, Quinn Strassel, says he’s “blown away” by the culture Coach Sleeman has built over the years.

“It’s clear the kids push themselves and support each other, and it really has meant a lot to see my ninth-grade son grow so much in just a few months,” he says.

Henry, another freshman, credits Sleeman’s training methods for his remarkable progress.

“He’s a fantastic coach. In the span of two months, I’ve gotten four minutes off of my 5K time, and that’s mostly due to him—the workouts he has us do, the distance runs. Even when I don’t want to do it, I’m just like, well, if he’s telling us to do it, then it’s probably what to do. You just want to listen to him because he’s giving you the ways to be better. I’m glad that I had him as my coach.”

Carlo focused on Sleeman’s motivational presence. “It’s just his energy,” he explained. “It’s really nice being with him and just running because he’s really motivational.” Carlo’s improvement has been dramatic—he shaved eight minutes off his 5K time since the beginning of the season, dropping from 33 minutes to 25.

Coach Sleeman reflected on Carlo’s transformation with obvious pride, noting that he’s lost significant weight since the season began and is in far better shape.

He expects Carlo’s time will improve even more, but is far less concerned with numbers than with personal achievement.

Another thing that makes Sleeman happy: The fact that when the team is together at practice, they’re not sitting there on their phones.

“I took a picture of them one day and put it on Facebook and got all kinds of positive reaction to it,” says Sleeman, “because here was a bunch of guys hanging out together, not on their phones!”

Record-breaking state final on Saturday, Nov. 1

The Pioneer boys’ cross country team put together a remarkable showing at the state championship, earning runner-up honors with 134 points—a narrow nine-point margin behind the four-time defending champion Northville (125 points).

Leading the charge was junior Kamari Ronfeldt, who triumphed in a sprint to the finish, claiming the individual state title with a time of 14:50.60. Ronfeldt outpaced Northville’s Brandon Cloud and redeemed himself after last year’s heartbreak, when breathing issues forced him out of contention despite being a favorite.

Backing up Ronfeldt’s performance, Beckett Crooks crossed the line in fourth place with a time of 14:59.00, giving Pioneer two runners under 15 minutes. Thomas DeJesus added to the strong team effort, finishing 37th at 15:49.10, while Theo Sacks Thomas took 56th in 15:58.90. Rounding out the scoring five, Colin Courage placed 102nd with a time of 16:18.40.

With all five Pioneer runners clocking competitive times, the team underscored its depth and grit in a fiercely contested championship.

Kamari and Beckett are the first runners in Pioneer history to break 15 minutes. The previous school record of 15:03.1 was set in 2018 by Nick Foster.

“They ran their hearts out at the state finals with efforts as strong as they had run all year,” he says, with pride. 

Sleeman is a nominee for Michigan Cross Country Coach of the Year, but expects it to go to the Northville coach.

The doesn’t bother him in the least. He’s more excited to announce that Kamari had the fastest time in all races and Betckett was the fastest senior that day.

Changes over the decades

Over the decades, Sleeman has witnessed changes in high school athletics, with coaches now often coming from outside education, bringing different perspectives and schedules. At Pioneer, academic excellence has always been the norm. His teams have won the Academic All-State award three times, with GPA averages routinely above 3.96.

Yet Sleeman never forgets his athletes are still teenagers, prone to moments of impulsiveness. He recounts stories of bus tagging near the hospital and near-misses crossing busy roads—episodes that led to changes in team routines and routes. And Ann Arbor itself, of course, has changed; roads that were once dirt are now paved and busy, altering the landscape for runners.

Glory and grit

Over the years, Sleeman’s teams have enjoyed many moments of glory. In total, his teams have won six state cross country titles (1987, 1990, 1993, 1994, 2008, and 2017) and finished state runner-up six times (1974, 1988, 1989, 2005, 2009, and 2025).

His cross country team has been in the top 10 at the state competition 34 times. His track team won states in 2007, and they won five runner-up titles.

Pioneer enjoys the reputation of the best overall record at the state finals over the last 51 years, and the individual achievements are plentiful.

But it’s those moments of grit that make him most proud. One year in the mid-1980s, a team that started near the bottom finished 10th in the state. In 1993, his squad upset Monroe High School—ranked third nationally—at the state meet, clinching Pioneer’s first state title and earning a national ranking. They repeated as champions the following year.

He expects effort and commitment, and he’s hardest on himself. “I have never asked a kid to do anything I haven’t already done or done more of myself.”

Parents play a role, but Sleeman values their support more than their oversight. “You’re not on the team,” he has had to remind a parent or two. “I want to hear from the kid. I want to know what the kid is thinking, not what you’re thinking.”

His goal is to nurture independence and resilience, preparing his athletes for life beyond high school when neither he nor their parents will be there to make the important decisions.

Nancy Shafer Boudreau, who coaches the women’s cross country team at Pioneer, calls Sleeman’s career of numerous team state championships in both track and cross country “incredible.”
“In addition, he has had many, many state individual state champions,” she says.  “He has helped to mold young runners into great young men over the years …  He has left a stamp on the program that will never be matched.”

All are welcome

His philosophy is clear: Cross country is open to all. There are no cuts on his team. He coaches everyone—varsity and JV alike—and believes every runner can improve. The program is inclusive, welcoming special needs athletes and newcomers alike, and offering a space for personal growth and camaraderie.

Sleeman recognizes that boys often face unique hurdles, especially during growth spurts. “It’s hard on your muscles, your ligaments, and tendons. And actually, your skeletal structure,” he notes, adding that confidence and perseverance are key as they navigate these changes.

Retirement? Some day. Maybe.

Sleeman’s wife, Kathy, is a recently retired data analyst for the University of Michigan School of Public Health who “knows more about Medicare than anyone in the country.” They live a block from the Ann Arbor Y, where she can often be found working out. Sleeman has two stepsons and a granddaughter.

He’s already wondering what he’ll do with his spare time when he’s no longer coaching—no matter when that day comes. He doesn’t play golf, isn’t interested in watching major sporting events, and the couple recently sold their cottage up North because of the upkeep.

“But I’ve always had a creative mind,” he says. “One of the things that I always liked about running on my own is that everything was different. Anytime I’d be running, I’d go, `I’ll turn here, or I’ll turn there.’ And I was always curious as to where I’d end up. And so that’s how I see whatever there is to do going forward. I don’t have any great plans, but at the same time, I’m in a good spot overall compared to 99.44 percent of people. So I’ve always been in a good spot, and I’ve always had the attitude that, OK, maybe today was a bad day, but tomorrow won’t be. We’ll see.”