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

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

With close to 1,000 votes cast, the final results are in for the first-ever Blue Water Running Cross Country Awards! You can read more about the athlete/team accomplishments of the winners in each category below. All of the nominees had incredible seasons: thank you for helping to recognize and celebrate our area cross-country athletes, teams, and coaches! FRESHMAN ROOKIE OF THE YEAR First-year runner who made an immediate impact. Qualifications: ran a full season, appeare

The nominations are in, and the votes are ready to be cast for the first-ever Blue Water Running Cross Country Awards! After sorting through nominations from athletes, coaches, parents, fans, and community members, the top nominees (high school runners in our coverage area who met the criteria for each category) are described in detail below. Please read the qualifying information and make your picks on the ballot. Voters are limited to one ballot submission, and all votes

We are kicking off the first-ever Blue Water Running Cross Country Awards, and we value your input in recognizing deserving local high school cross country runners for their accomplishments in 2025! Nominations can be made by athletes, coaches, parents, fans, and community members. You can nominate runners in our coverage area for any or all of the following categories: Rookie of the Year (must be a freshman) Runner of the Year Most Improved Runner Breakthrough Performance

Cross-country postseason racing continued over the last week and a half, with high school athletes competing in the MITCA Meet of Champions on November 8 at Shepherd High School. Macomb Community College and SC4 women sent their squads to the NJCAA National Championships in Iowa on Nov. 8, with several collegiate runners earning All-American honors.

On Saturday, November 1, runners from every Lower Peninsula division across Michigan converged at Michigan International Speedway in Brooklyn. Nearly 100 athletes from the Blue Water Area capped off the 2025 cross country season with their performances at the state finals. What it took to be All-State (top 30 finishers): Division 1 Girls: 18:12. Winner: Natasza Dudek, Ann Arbor Pioneer. 16:09*. *Currently the nation’s fastest time. Division 1 Boys: 15:46.2. Winner: Kamari

Many local runners punched their tickets to Brooklyn next week for the cross country state meet, as regional qualifying meets took place Friday through Saturday. When a trip to the state finals is on the line, personal bests abound: the majority of the top 30 Blue Water Area cross country times were run at regional competitions: 19/30 for girls, 18/30 for boys. Macomb Community College and St. Clair County Community College also raced in regional meets on Friday at Goodells

Saige Cole wins the Marysville Invitational on Oct. 2. Yale sophomore Saige Cole had a successful cross country debut last season, running her PR of 20:05 to place eighth at regionals and earn her first trip to the state meet as a freshman. One of the returning favorites in the league and region this year, she won the Brown City Invitational, the Marysville Invitational, and was BWAC runner-up, leading the Bulldogs to a league title. She was runner-up at the Dave Patterson

The Blue Water Area Conference and the Big Thumb Conference both wrapped up their 2025 cross country league competitions this week: here are the results from both meets for Blue Water Area athletes.

With two weeks remaining until regionals, personal best times are dropping with the temperatures, as invitational competition wraps up and all eyes look toward championship season meets. Here is a recap of cross country race results from the Blue Water Area from Oct. 7-11.