In week three of Blue Water Area cross country coverage, out of 30 featured performances,18 new personal bests were added to the girls’ top times list, and 19 on the boys’ side.

With the first meet in the books last week for most local area teams, the second week of competition season gave us a few new additions to our Blue Water Area Top 30 Times List, along with some big victories and statements of improvement early in the fall. This week also kicks off the first Blue Water Running Cross Country “Athlete of the Week” recognition. Here’s a recap of race competition around our area from Aug. 25-29. But first, the question many ask: “Why do you charg

High school and collegiate cross country competition kicked into full swing across the Blue Water Area this week, and with the first few meets on the books, we also have our week one Top 30 XC Times lists back for the season (updated weekly on Sundays). Here’s a recap of each of the four meets attended by Blue Water Area athletes from August 20-21. While this article is unlocked, season articles moving forward will require a subscription. Subscription fees are necessary to

August 19, 2026, kicks off the official MHSAA competition date for high school cross country, and it’s time for the 2026 Blue Water Running Cross Country Preview! The preview is based on last season’s performance statistics, and a survey is sent to all the area coaches, providing a brief overview of the local teams and highlighting some key athletes to watch. Whoever responds has their quotes and info added into the preview, which is why some teams’ write-ups are significant

“Passion is pushing myself when there is no one else around - just me and the road.” Ryan Shay I was 17 years old when I first saw Ryan Shay. I was at the top of the stands at Michigan International Speedway, trying to stay warm in the chilly wind after competing in my team’s cross country state finals race. It was November 2, 1996, and Ryan and I were both seniors in high school, though I didn't know yet who he was. In those days, athletes were divided into separate team

Are you a Blue Water Area cross country coach? We would love to have your input on the upcoming season and include you in both the written article and a mini-episode of the podcast! If you are interested in participating, here is the information: Submit your season preview information for the written article on the Google Form linked here. If you're also interested in joining me for a quick podcast episode to chat about your team and goals, you can book a slot on the calend

Brayden Prieskorn has committed to Purdue University Northwest to further his athletic and academic career. Brayden will be running cross country and track for the Lions. While a student-athlete at St. Clair High School, Brayden competed for the Saints in cross country, indoor, and outdoor track. He has a personal best of 16:48 for the 5K, 2:05 for the 800 meters, and 4:39 for the mile. He also participated in the Links program and the Unified Bowling program throughout his

The MHSAA Track and Field Championship took place across the west side of Michigan on Saturday, May 30, capping off a terrific season from a multitude of Blue Water Area athletes. After four separate Lower Peninsula divisions of competition, a total of two state champions and sixteen All-State athletes were crowned, and many recent marks were added to the all-time lists for performances from our area. Division 1 Anchor Bay’s Cameron Gramzow capped off his undefeated season i

With regional qualifications completed and a few days remaining before the state meet, local track and field athletes competed in local championships, getting one last tune-up for their events over the last week. Here’s a round-up from the Macomb County meet, the Blue Water Meet of Champions, and the Thumb Meet of Champs, and several top-ranking athletes heading into the state finals. You can also check out all the new additions to this week’s area top-ten performance list u

Regionals for athletes in Divisions 1-4 took place Saturday around the state, with the majority of Blue Water Athletes competing within the D2 regional held at North Branch. Here is a recap of regional results for teams in the coverage area. The top two finishers in each event at regional competition automatically qualify, with any placements after that qualified based on meeting a specific time or standard.

Over half of all top-ten performances in the Blue Water Area for this outdoor season were set within the last week of competition. League championships wrapped up, and local athletes traveled to weekend invitationals in search of final meet tune-ups before regionals this coming weekend. Here’s a recap of each conference’s top results, along with invitational highlights from around the area, as all eyes turn towards regional competitions in search of last-chance state meet q

Over the weekend, Blue Water Area teams competed in various invitationals, seeking early qualification standards, personal bests, and tuning up for the following week's league championships. Here's a recap of the major weekend meet results from week four of outdoor track and field action.

More athletes from the Blue Water Area added their names to the Early Qualifiers list for the state track and field finals at the end of May. Many teams also wrapped up their regular league competitions before conference championships officially begin the postseason next week. Here’s a recap of week three highlights from April 21-29, based on performances that rank athletes on the area’s top ten lists.

Dryden’s Cara Prusakiewicz has committed to Indiana Tech to further her athletic and academic career. Cara will be running cross country and track for the Warriors. While a student-athlete at Dryden, Prusakiewicz competed at the varsity level all four years of high school, along with running indoor track, and served as her cross country team captain. She has a personal best of 19:36 for the 5K (a school record) and was a Division 4 All-State athlete in cross country last fall

Stella Behnan has committed to Saint Mary's College of Notre Dame to further her athletic and academic career. Behnan will be running cross country for the Belles. While a student-athlete at Marine City Cardinal Mooney, Behnan competed at the varsity level all four years of high school in cross country and track. She has a personal best of 20:37 for the 5K - which is the school record - and has many notable achievements in both athletics and academics: 2024 MHSAA XC Div 4 Sta

The second full week of outdoor track and field action gave us several new EQ athletes and lots of changes in the top-ten area events lists. Here are the local Blue Water Area highlights from the week of April 13-18.

The 2026 outdoor season is off and running, and right out of the blocks, there are several notable performances from Blue Water Area athletes, including the first area state meet early qualifying mark, run by Kai Fisher of Memphis in the 400 meters. Here is the week one recap of local results from the April start of high school track and field, based on the Top-Ten Blue Water Area list.

It’s time for the 2026 Girls Outdoor Track and Field Season Preview! The statistics used to write the season preview include BWAC, MAC, and Catholic High School League results, Blue Water Area meets such as the Marysville Invitational, Muskrat Invitational, Blue Water Meet of Champions, Thumb Meet, and Macomb County Meet, and, of course, Regional and State Finals qualifying and placements. The top ten area performance lists for each event also played a driving role in makin

It’s time for the 2026 Boys Outdoor Track and Field Season Preview! The statistics used to write the season preview include BWAC, MAC, and Catholic High School League results, Blue Water Area meets such as the Marysville Invitational, Muskrat Invitational, Blue Water Meet of Champions, Thumb Meet, and Macomb County Meet, and, of course, Regional and State Finals qualifying and placements. The top ten area performance lists for each event also played a driving role in making