Contact: Taiah Gallisath, Sports Information Graduate Assistant, 630-637-5302
Mar. 11, 2022 - After not finding the college experience he always wanted at his first institution, North Central College men’s track and field sprinter Jamauri Spivery saw his opportunity to maximize his experiences at North Central.
Transferring from Trinity International University after a year and a half, Spivery was initially recruited to play football at North Central. The football coaches actively recruited Spivery out of high school but the weight of an athletic scholarship at Trinity hung over his head.
“I wanted a full experience where I could be competing with high-class athletes and be able to pursue my education in a meaningful and effective way. North Central had everything and luckily they were still trying to recruit me so that was my gateway to get that college experience that I always wanted in one atmosphere,” said Spivery.
With Trinity lacking a track and field program, Spivery missed out on a key opportunity for his athletic growth. Once at North Central, men’s track and field head coach Frank Gramarosso caught sight of Spivery and heard his story, and asked Spivery to try out for the track team.
As a kid, Spivery competed in Amateur Athletic Union (AAU) track and field and was a part of various track clubs before picking up the sport in high school. Spivery’s first sport though, was boxing when he started around the age of six or seven. Spivery competed in tournaments throughout his 12-13 years of boxing with the most notable tournament being the Golden Gloves.
The Chicago native--although born in Memphis, Ten. had a tough decision to make as he transferred to North Central: football, track, or both? “It was a very hard decision but the one thing that made me make that decision was regretting. I never wanted to regret not maximizing all the opportunities I had been granted in college.”
As the oldest of five siblings on his mother’s side, Spivery prides himself on being a big family man. Having been young when she had him, Spivery and his mom developed a strong relationship that he defines as being best friends. When asked about his role model Spivery responded, “My mom of course.” Spivery grew up helping his siblings like they were his own kids while his mom balanced raising a family, working, and continuing her education to receive her bachelor's and master’s degrees. “To see the success and all the sacrifices she made to make sure I had a good life and to see her be successful today, how could you not admire that and adore that?”
Spivery also noted his stepfather as a role model to him, “He gave me my first job. And to be able to love someone unconditionally and to step into that life that speaks to his character and I aspire to be a man like that someday.”
As with most athletes, Spivery had his fair share of injures but he has mastered breaking through the mind-and-body barrier. In high school, Spivery tore his groin leading up to qualifying for the state track and field meet. Spivery had a key role in anchoring the 4-by-100 meter relay, the prominent opportunity for his high school to get to state. “They needed me, I was the anchor as well, I couldn't let us down,” said Spivery. “I pushed through that whole thing and we ended up winning and making it to the state championship for track. I could just feel how much pain I was in after that race but it was just the joy of being able to pull through and have that adrenaline rush kick in for my team. That's just something you can never write off.”
“Those are the things that come with the sport, I don't really see them as challenges I just kind of see them as opportunities to take care of my body better.”
Spivery easily sums up his successes in athletics as a blessing. After suffering a football head-to-head collision in 2019, Spivery was left with temporary paralysis having no feeling in the right side of his body. He was paralyzed for months and even after, it took a while for him to regain his strength enough to be able to run.
In 2021, Spivery qualified for the NCAA Division III Outdoor National Championship in the 4-by-100 meter relay alongside teammates, Kendall Johnson, Michael Stanley, and Maceo Findlay. The relay had a heartbreaking finish in ninth place as the top-eight teams are named All-Americans. Despite not getting the desired outcome, Spivery leans more on the experiences the National Championship brought him with his teammates.
With a personal goal to finish in the All-American category, Spivery goes for his shot on Mar. 11-12 in the 60-meter-dash at the NCAA Division III Indoor National Championship. After setting the school record in the event a couple of seasons prior, Spivery broke his own record three times this indoor season, finally settling on a 6.84-second mark to earn him a bid to the championships as the 16th fastest time in Division III.
Spivery likes to think deeper and also likes to challenge himself in his thinking. “Psychology focuses on behavior and the study of the human body,” said Spivery. “Psychology teaches you to think deeper about somebody. I don't think we do that as humans, often we don't try to uncover that surface, we don't try to get deeper that's why I chose psychology because it forces me to do that. And that doubles with my minor in philosophy, I challenge a lot of that. I try to make myself figure out why. It sparks a lot of interesting conversations and makes you think about the world differently.”
Spivery is currently enjoying his internship in Oswego, Ill. as a behavior technician. Working with autistic children, Spivery conducts one-on-one training to help them develop behaviors, get ready for school, and get comfortable being around others. “Just seeing the smiles they have and seeing that someone cares about them and doesn't see them as an autistic child but just seeing them as a kid. That's a beautiful thing when they can feel like they're being seen as normal.”
After graduation, Spivery plans to move to Arizona and take a year off from school to explore before going back for his Master's in Applied Behavior Analysis. Spivery has goals to be a children’s therapist and a fitness influencer. He hopes to open his own facility--similar to a Boys and Girls Club--for kids that have disabilities to give them an easier opportunity to make friends with kids just like themselves and to have fun and feel normal.
Outside of athletics, academics, and his many jobs, Spivery loves to be with family and be at the gym, specifically in the sauna. He enjoys watching crime shows and is currently bingeing Bones. Spivery holds many hidden talents in that he loves to read and is in the process of writing a book. He sings, dances, acts, can play the piano, organ, acoustic guitar, and even plays percussion.
In his day-to-day endeavors, Spivery loves to make others smile and the positive energy he radiates makes it an easy task. Spivery gave us a little bit of advice, “Love your life. We don't hear that often. We need to focus on what makes us happy personally. I want to do all the things I cant do when I'm older. I don't want to regret not living my life to the fullest or not appreciating my life. Find that one piece of joy in your life and run with it.”
Spivery is the Cardinals’ sole representation on the men’s side at the NCAA National Championships this weekend. Spivery is set to compete in the 60-meter-dash prelims at 3:05 p.m. (ET) Friday, Mar. 11 for a spot in the finals on Saturday, Mar. 12 at 3:40 p.m. (ET).
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Credits:
Steve Woltmann, Mark Black