It takes a lot to keep Mark Jasinski down.

Jasinski, 15, of Bingham Township, is a sophomore at Suttons Bay High School and a member of the boys’ cross country team. On Wednesday, Oct. 10, he was driving north on County Road 633 just south of Shady Lane with his mother, Catharine, when he lost control of the vehicle, crossed over the west side of the road and hit a tree.

The accident broke his cranium, jaw and crushed the orbital bone around his eyes. According to his mother, Jasinski was transported Sunday from Munson Medical Center in Traverse City to University of Michigan medical center in Ann Arbor, where he underwent reconstructive surgery on Tuesday.

Cathy Jasinski said before he left the area he was brought up to speed on what the surgery would entail and the recovery time.

“Mark said he should be back in time for Regionals,” she said, chuckling at his humor. Cross country Regionals are scheduled for Oct. 27.

Cathy Jasinski, who received treatment for a knee fracture and shoulder injury, is recovering at the family’s home in Bingham Township. She was not able to go to Ann Arbor with her son and husband, but said her son came through the reconstructive surgery well. She had not had a chance to talk with him as of yesterday morning.

Jasinski said Mark was able to receive visitors on Thursday last week, and his friends and teammates from the Suttons Bay cross country team responded. In addition to cards, letters and balloons sent by students at Suttons Bay High School, cross country coach Mark Smith said his fellow harriers used Jasinski as a rallying point and won a trophy at the Mesick meet on Thursday.

“The captains took the trophy up to Mark’s room that night. It was a real ‘Win one for the Gipper’ type of experience,” Smith said.

“I think just about every member of the cross country team was up to see Mark just about every day,” Cathy Jasinski said. “They brought in the trophy and left it in the room with him. That really boosted his spirits,” she said.

There were no immediate signs that Jasinski received any closed head injuries in the accident. His mother said there will be more testing done after he has recovered from the surgery.

Smith said Jasinski embraced long-distance running in a round-about manner. “Mark toyed with running distance in middle school, but didn’t run cross country last year,” Smith said. Instead he joined the track team this spring and signed up to be a hurdler.

“For two weeks he would ask what the distance runners were doing for a workout and if it was an easy day, he wanted to run with us. If it was a hard day, he wanted to be a hurdler,” Smith said with a laugh. Jasinski concluded the track season by being invited to the Record-Eagle Honor Roll meet, and finishing third in the Northwest Conference in the two-mile race.

This fall Jasinski has been a stalwart for the Norsemen, consistently being one of the top four finishers for the boys’ team. Smith said the team’s trophy-winning performance at the Mesick Invitational was remarkable.

“Only Mark and the people on this team realize that his teammates ran 30 and 40 seconds faster than they have all year,” he said.

As to Jasinski’s impact on the team, Smith said he fits in with everyone. “On a team with a lot of different characters, Mark is a good friend to all of them. He does not always know when to stop a joke, but has grown so much this season as a person,” he said.

The Suttons Bay school community has also rallied around the Jasinski family.

Superintendent Mike Murray said students sent cards, letters and balloons to Jasinski’s room last week. The staff has organized an effort to keep food for meals going to the family while Cathy Jasinski recovers.

“The community response is great. Everyone is being so helpful,” she said.

Perhaps the best comment she heard about her son was overheard from a nurse who saw the number of people visiting.

“The nurse said, ‘He must be some really great kid. I don’t remember seeing so many people visiting one person like that,’” she said.