The state’s returning Gatorade Runner of the Year, the 6-foot-3-inch, 150-pound senior distance talent led the Hornets to sixth place as a team at the MHSAA Class 5A State XC Championships this past season, breaking the tape for the individual title with a time of 15:15.40—the fastest all-class clocking of the postseason. Balcer went on to run a state-record 5K time of 14:48.83 to finish sixth at the RunningLane National Cross Country Championships, earning First Team All-American status in the process.
Balcer has maintained a 95.4 average in the classroom. He will attend Mississippi College this fall, where he will compete in both cross country and track and field.
An appointed member of his school’s peer-leadership group, Balcer participates in Key Club and student council, which are both elected functions. He has also donated his time to the youth group at Caswell Springs United Methodist Church.
