This week wrapped up all local league/conference and county championship action for area teams, and many Blue Water Area athletes won their respective conference or county titles, both individually and as a team. The focus now shifts to next week's regional meets and state meet qualifications as the end of the season looms on the horizon. Levi Fitchett, Dryden Won the Big Thumb Blue/Red League meet, the first individual victory of his XC career. 4th at the Dryden Cardinal Cl

Time is ticking, both on the race clock and the calendar; athletes have entered championship season. County, league/conference, and regional championships lie ahead in the next two weeks for local Blue Water Area cross country teams. Here's a recap of the last week of race action from across our area, which included so many great performances that we doubled up the Runner of the Week honors. Runners of the Week Charlie Fields, North Branch Sophomore Won the County Press Inv

Columbus Park, MAC Red, Birch Run, and Portage: Week 7 Cross Country Recap

Langolf, Nivala Win MCCAA East Runner of the Year Honors; MCC Sweeps Championship Titles With a big week for our local community colleges, more high school league matchups and local invitationals, the weather cooled down, but the performances heated up as we head into the last full month of cross country racing for the Blue Water Area. Athletes of the Week After stating in a podcast episode last week that her goal was to break sub-20 this season, New Haven’s Emma Reimer dropp

Week five of cross country action in the Blue Water Area consisted of invitational wins, school records, and 82% of the runners on the Top 30 List earning new season or personal bests. This past weekend, athletes competed at the Mid-Season Spectacular at Goodells Park, the Hanson’s Invitational at Parkway Christian, and Anchor Bay traveled to the Jackson Invitational, which churned out some of the most elite times in the state - and the nation - for the season thus far. It

Josh Macri, Saige Cole Win First BWAC Jamboree; New Haven Boys and Emma Reimer win MAC Blue; Macri and Chloe Boright Sweep Autumn Classic It was a busy week on the grass (and mud) for local cross country athletes, with league jamborees on Tuesday and invitational races over the weekend. There were many individual and team wins and lots of personal improvements, with 68.5% of athletes on the top 30 times list seeing their season bests over the course of this week. In fact, t

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.