2026 Blue Water Area XC Season Preview

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 significantly longer than others.  Unless a coach specifically mentions an incoming freshman (last year’s 8th graders) or they are relevant to roster numbers, they are not usually included in the preview, since it's more difficult to predict runner performance without any high school experience.

Blue Water Running covers Algonac, Almont, Anchor Bay, Armada, Austin Catholic, Capac, Cros-Lex, Dryden, Imlay City, Kimball New Life Christian, Kimball Landmark Academy, Macomb Lutheran North, Marine City, Marine City Cardinal Mooney, Marysville, Memphis, Michigan Athletic Club for Homeschoolers, New Haven, Port Huron High, Port Huron Northern, North Branch, Richmond, Saint Clair, Yale, and the two local area community colleges, which include SC4 and Macomb Community College.

A few interesting notes about this year’s season:

• Algonac leaves the BWAC for the MAC Blue, while Macomb Lutheran North enters the BWAC.

• BIG REGIONAL CHANGES…The majority of Blue Water Area teams race in the D2-17 regional at Columbus Park. It’s not hard to imagine that regional race times will need to be much faster this year to earn a state qualification. Why? Read on...

  • Holly High School was added to D2-17, which was in a much tougher team regional last year.  The top three girls there were sub-18, and an 18:58 was 15th place.  Holly’s girls were second (17:39) and eighth (18:38).  For comparison, 19:40 won our regional, and 15th place was 21:04.  

  • Holly’s top three boys ran 16:01 (14th), 16:17 (22nd), and 16:18 (23rd), while our boys’ regional winner ran 16:18, and 15th place was 17:27.

  • Marian (Bloomfield Hills) is an all-girls school joining our region, and they have a pack of three girls in 20:24, 20:28, 21:05, and 21:09, very comparable to the girls' teams already in our area. So does Pontiac Notre Dame Prep, with runners at 20:58, 21:02, and 21:31.

  • While one could argue that a course’s difficulty and technicality affect times across various regionals elsewhere, the Columbus course has already been notably fast: 60% of both race fields set personal bests in the regional races last fall, and almost 75% in 2024.

Remember: This is just one perspective of potential outcomes for the season.  It’s not a perfect prediction or any type of expectation; it’s just a summary of what the season might hold and helps coaches, athletes, and fans of the sport keep up to date on area teams.  

After days…weeks…months of studying stats, names, and numbers, I will inevitably make a mistake in spelling or time accuracy, or leave out someone who probably deserves a mention: it is not intentional, and I apologize in advance for any errors.

All photos used are either BWR photos or compliments of the athletes/teams/social media pages.

Algonac

After 23 years in the BWAC, Algonac moves to the Macomb Athletic Conference (MAC) Blue Division, competing with teams they seldom encountered in the past. The Muskrats lost eight senior boys to graduation last year, and two other runners moved, so the boys' team is in rebuilding mode.  According to coach Dan Shafer, “We do have a group of freshmen looking promising to go with a couple of our returning top seven.  The girls' team returns all but one graduated senior, so if they can stay healthy, they should be one of the top schools in the MAC's Blue Division.  Senior Chase McCarthy and Junior Clint Malcolm should lead the boys' team, although Clint's coming off an injury.  Sophomore Kadence Ager and junior Jenna Dobbs should lead the girls.  Both were state finalists last year, Kadence in cross and Jenna in track. Coaches meet with runners voluntarily four days a week at different times to fit the runners' schedules.  We focus on building their base up with easy mileage runs with occasional tempo runs. I'm fortunate to have four coaches working with me this year: Derek Nutter, Jamie Psyzora, Loren Myny and Kate Bennett, who are all helping with the athletes.”

One thing that has remained steady for the Algonac team is their summer camp tradition.  Since 1999, the team has attended a YMCA camp near Jackson, Michigan, for five days of running, canoeing, horseback riding, and team bonding in the preseason.  “As for camaraderie, when we attend our camp, we do activities to bring the squads together, and living a week with each other often brings the students closer together,” Shafer noted.

Algonac will be hosting the Muskrat Class Run for the 39th year on September 12, with over 70 teams from 36 schools competing.  They will also be hosting three regionals at Columbus County Park on October 30th (Division 1) and 31st (D2 and D3).  

Almont

Taylor Stanczak had a fantastic post-season performance last fall: she ran 20:25 - a huge PR - at regionals to place 12th and earn an individual trip to the D3 state meet, where she backed up her performance again with another time drop, placing 60th in 20:11 at MIS. 

On the boys’ side, Colton Grzyb and Andrew SaintOnge are the top returning runners for the Raiders: both ran sub-18 minutes last season and look to earn their first state meet berths. 

Anchor Bay

The Anchor Bay Tars kicked off their season with a team experience at Lost Valley Camp in Gaylord, joined by Bay City Western, Midland and Mount Pleasant. As head coach Eddie Komph said, “Playing volleyball with a bunch of cross country kids screams team camaraderie - very uncoordinated, but volleyball is a tough sport if you cannot communicate well with your teammates! At camp we experienced this, and it strengthened our bond, and afterward, Coach bought everyone ice cream.”

Komph stated that the primary goals for this year’s teams are qualifications to the state meet, whether as a team or as individuals (no easy task with D1 powerhouse Romeo in their region).

“On the boys’ side, Sebastian Azar and Brandon Ziehmer will be the top guys,” Komph predicted. “They have worked very hard this off-season, and we are hoping it pays off. We have four freshmen that have joined; I believe Brenden King and Justin Howze will learn very quickly what it takes to run fast at this level.  For the girls, it is clear that Maddie Leslie is our frontrunner, but we have three others very close to her. It is going to be interesting. With five senior girls, our team has a ton of experience, and I feel like they are ready to make the next step. Along with Maddie, I would look for Audra Krause, Nicole Lucka, and Mary Wright to be the names that are ready to take the next step.”  Ziehmer earned a trip to the state meet by finishing 18th in 16:40; Azar was just a few places out, taking 26th in 16:56.  Krause was the top finisher at the regional for the girls last year, taking 24th, while Wright was 34th. 

Komph added some great advice for high school runners: “Sometimes no plan is the best plan. It's how you learn, fail, and make those precious core memories. Have one voice telling you what to do next and BELIEVE.”

Armada

Armada runners headed to the northwest side of the state for their cross country camp, based out of Interlochen State Park, visiting Honor, Traverse City, and Glen Arbor.  Their focus? Getting legs ready for miles for those who may not have been part of summer running, or transitioning from aerobic base building to race readiness for those who had a consistent summer presence.  “Number one, try to have fun; two: try to become a team from top to bottom; three: try to get better at something each week,” coach Rob Blume emphasized.  “We try to find something new every year, whether it be a new trail system, activity, or campsite at camp or new meets or new training ideas. The ice cream mile, water balloon relay, town tag, and Lipuma Coney Island days are a break from the regular monotony of training. We try to schedule as many meets with both the HS and MS teams together and encourage them to make as big a deal out of each other as possible.”

Blume has some predictions for which Tigers to keep an eye on this season: “Addison Noteboom: nobody loves cross country more, and she’s very dialed in. Helena Reiff came to camp ready to go even though she was precluded from being able to do summer running with the team. Allison Mansfield is a middle distance state qualifier who has been a key contributor to Armada CC success over the past two years. Claire Albrecht showed last year, when she was BWAC champ/a state meet qualifier, that she's a competitor to watch out for and has looked strong throughout the summer. Mackenzie Marshall has been working very hard this summer. Kamille Fitzpatrick is a state meet qualifier in track who has a lot of speed. A freshman to watch is Layla Tedder: she has never raced but has been right in with the lead kids all summer. I predict that if we have successful team outcomes, she will be a key part of the reason why.

On the boys’ side, Edward Marshall is starting to realize his potential and training wisely, while Will Arnold’s consistent work ethic through CC, wrestling, and track will pay off. Henry Witgen is a student of each practice and meet. He’ll know more about things to modify and realistically aspire to after each practice and competition than most high school runners. For our freshmen, Nic Noteboom and Aric Foster have both been training wisely and growing in small increments to avoid injuries.”

When asked what advice he’d give a runner competing in their very first 5K, Blume said, “Run your own race and don’t get suckered at the start.  Try to run negatively split as much as a course might allow, or conversely, at least be positively efforted. Respect the competition. Be aware of things you want to improve on for the next time but race in such a way that you are happy at the end with what you did. Make yourself proud before even thinking about making another person proud.” 

Blume also emphasized the need for grateful, team-minded athletes. “This is for any racer on any team: Be awesome teammates; find some way to convey to your teammates that they matter. I don’t know how many other people noticed this about the great Morgan Beadlescomb (Algonac state champ/MSU grad, now a professional runner), but I watched him at many races his senior year go through the chute and right back out to some of the loneliest places on courses to cheer on his teammates, no matter how far behind they may have been. I have to imagine that it would be any coach’s favorite season to regularly hear from most athletes, ‘Hey Mom and Dad, I love you and am very happy you’re here to watch me, but I’ve got a teammate out there who may not finish for another 15 minutes who has no one around him but probably would like someone to be there. So I’m gonna go be that person. I’ll see you after he finishes.’ “

Austin Catholic

Cassidy Bowers had a best of 19:49 to earn Macomb All-County, won the CHSL Cardinal Championships, was second in her region, and went on to place 19th at the Division 4 state finals, earning the Crusaders their first All-State honors for a cross country athlete.  Her brother, Gavin, was also the top runner for the boys’ team, setting his PR of 17:02 as a freshman to later finish 52nd at the state finals.

Capac

Senior Donovan Glasgow and Aubrey Beier were the only two participants from last season listed on the roster for the Chiefs.  

Cros-Lex

Senior Connor Pepin returns as the Pioneers’ top boys runner, taking another trip to the state finals last fall.  His track improvements bode well for a successful cross country season: he ran 2:02 for the 800, 4:31 for the 1600, and won the Blue Water Meet of Champions in the 3200 in 10:15, a 17-second PR.

Madelyn Barkley battled for first in several BWAC jamborees and saw her PR drop close to a full minute from the year before.  She ran 20:28 for eighth place at regionals and qualified for the state finals.  Hailey Morrison is also a runner to keep an eye on for the Pioneers, taking seventh at the BWAC championships to earn all-league honors.

Dryden

Head coach Emma Willett is focused on summer training sessions that primarily revolve around building a base for fall training. “We steadily increase mileage with some workouts being implemented midway through summer. Our primary focus for our team these early weeks of practice is to build camaraderie and morale as we begin to set goals for the season,” she stated.

“Since we graduated a big senior group, this season is all about building our next foundation. We’re leaning heavily on our experienced veterans to drive our culture and lead the pack. With a smaller squad and some newcomers coming aboard at the start of the regular season, our focus is simple: stay healthy, execute the process, and peak at the right time so we can bring our absolute best when the late-season stakes are highest."

Despite losing several leading runners, including all-stater Cara Prusakiewicz (12th at D4 states in 19:36), Willett is optimistic about the Cardinals’ season. “On the women’s side, we’re anchored by returning state qualifiers Claire Wright (Jr.) and Ella Gustner (So.), both of whom were instrumental in leading our team to the state meet last year and have logged strong summer mileage. We also have Lilyana Lasher back on the course; she was a key member of our state-qualifying squad and is coming off a stellar track season. Among our newcomers, we’re thrilled to welcome freshman Eliniah Fitchett. Having come through our junior high program, she brings a strong foundation and consistent summer work. Time will tell, but we may also add a couple more roster additions who could make an impact as the season unfolds. Our men’s squad is smaller this year, though we expect a few early-season roster additions. Our leadership and top-end performance will center around Levi Fitchett (Jr.) and Tyler Roberts (Sr.). Levi was one of our top runners last fall, an individual state qualifier, and a key factor in our team state qualification—he’s put in serious work this summer. Tyler is coming off one of his finest seasons to date as part of that same state-qualifying team and brings invaluable veteran experience. We’re excited to see how our returning core leads the way as our full roster takes shape.”

When it comes time to race and enter competition season, Willett reminds her novice runners of several helpful pointers: “I tell them to enjoy the moment and start conservatively. Don’t get caught up in the early adrenaline—settle into a comfortable rhythm early on and lock in with the pack around you. If you still have gas in the tank at the halfway mark, start picking up the pace and see how many runners you can catch on the back half of the course.”

Imlay City

Imlay City’s team travels to parks and trails to take advantage of areas they don't have a chance to visit during the season for team-building and fun. Coach Sara O’Brien’s primary focus is to remain healthy and experience a successful season where athletes are meeting their individual and team goals. 

Liam Bhatti returns as the Spartans’ top boy, while Riley Schlaufman had a strong freshman season in 2025, improving over two minutes through the course of the fall.  

Kimball Landmark Academy 

Landmark returns four boys’ participants: Caden Dustan, Dillion Maskell, Ezra Valez, and Steven Mann. Last season there were no runners who competed at the D4 regional for the Lakers and no girls’ athletes or results listed. 

Kimball New Life Christian

Kiersten Zeller is the sole female returner for the Knights, with over five minutes of season improvement last year.  For the boys, Elisha Butler is a freshman with a middle-school PR of 12:48 in the 3200, while teammate Landon Haro saw 10 minutes of time drop in his first season last year as a sophomore.  

Macomb Lutheran North

The Mustangs were back-to-back regional champions, with both the girls' and boys’ teams winning in 2024 and repeating in 2025, and this year join the Blue Water Area Conference for league competition.  

MLN girls’ coach Tim Grotelueschen reiterated the focus on the importance of regionals and qualifying for the state finals. “Our number one goal is to win the regional championship for a third year in a row. It will be a challenge as all the top teams from our region last year will be strong again and several good teams, including Holly, Marian, and Notre Dame Prep, have been added to our region.  We are excited about joining the Blue Water Area Conference this season, so a new goal is to win this traditionally strong league.  The Macomb County Meet is always a meet we emphasize, so we would love to beat our overall place from last year and repeat as Division 2-3-4 champions. Finally, we want to qualify for the State Meet and beat our finish place from last year and break into the top 20 in the state.” 

Senior Samantha Whitlam paced the Lady Mustangs last year by winning her regional and coming oh-so-close to the sub-19 mark, running 19:03 at the MITCA Meet of Champions.  For Whitlam to claim another regional title individually, she’ll have to outrace Holly’s Maddie Lindley (17:52/12th at state meet) and Julia Bambach (18:23/32nd at state meet).

“We have our entire top seven returning from last year's team, so we will have a deep team,” Grotelueschen confirmed. “Samantha Whitlam leads the way, but seniors Avery Stallmann and Evelyn Buckley, Juniors Chloe Boright, Lucy Gump, and Ann McMahon, and Sophomore Ariana Macri were all major contributors last year and should be again. Our entire top seven had great track seasons, so they look to build on that success with more improvement in cross country this fall.”  Michigan XC Speed Ratings ranked them as the region’s top team, with this justification: “The Mustangs clearly are working to earn another trophy, evidenced by a track season that saw five LN girls slip under 6:00 in the 1600m.”  

The team has a tradition of holding pasta parties at teammates' houses for team camaraderie. Grotelueschen mentioned that Columbus County Park would probably be the team's favorite course because they've had a lot of team success there and many of the athletes have had their personal best races on the course.  

For first-time racers, Grotelueschen’s advice is, “Don't get too excited and start too fast. It's better to go out a little too slow than way too fast your first race.”

The Mustangs have a close-knit culture within their coed teams.  Boys' coach Steve Slagel stated, “The boys and girls teams do pretty much everything together….practices, meets. We all support each other, root for each other, etc. Both coaches support and root for each other as well. All of that really helps both teams build a positive culture.”

While the girls’ team returns all their starting lineup, the boys’ team is looking at a different challenge.  Slagel said their primary goal is to try to maximize the talent on the team. “We lost 10 seniors and need to try to make up for it as best as possible.  Josh Macri and Elliot Alef will be clearly the top two. Newcomer Jack Abdelnour will be coming over from soccer.”  

Macri is looking for a three-peat in individual regional titles, with the top time in the Blue Water Area in 2025 as the only male cross country athlete to break 16 minutes during the season.  His personal best stands at 15:53, which he ran to place 19th at the state meet and earn D2 all-state honors,  and after his track success in a variety of distance events, he appears to be both the BWAC conference and regional favorite. Macri also made the coveted “50 Tickets to Brooklyn” list on Michigan XC Speed Ratings, coming in at number 47.  With the addition of several new teams to the D2 Region 17 race at Columbus Park, there are some fast players in the game this October (Holly’s Broden Ladd; PR 15:50), but Macri has two years of individual championship experience on the course, giving him a distinct advantage. 

Marine City

Andrew Bieth and Reilley Paulsen are the top two returners for Marine City’s boys team, finishing 66th and 69th at last year’s D3 regional at Columbus Park.  For the ladies, Reygan Elliot was 35th, and Emerson Reyes was 49th: both girls saw multiple minutes of improvement over the 2025 season.

Marine City Cardinal Mooney

After a PR of 17:25 at the D4 state meet, junior Liam Knuth leads the Mooney Cardinals as the top time returner, with teammate Micah Arlow looking to close out his high school career as a senior with another trip to the state meet (17:29 PR).  Camille Behnan and Paige Arlow are currently the only two female athletes listed on the Mooney roster: Behnan ran last year, and Arlow is a new addition to the team for 2026.

Marysville

State qualifiers Brendan Koza, Caleb McBride, and Jeremy Johnson all return as the top three Viking boys and have each run low 17s, with Koza going sub-17 at regionals.  

The Marysville girls came out swinging last year at regionals, stunning the field by taking the last team qualification spot for the state finals, finishing third by going 6, 7, 15, 19, 23, and five of the top seven return.  Kenzie LeVey and Peyton Simmons lead the Lady Vikings with PRs of 20:16 and 21:18, respectively. 

Memphis

As a small D4 school, Memphis has historically struggled to field a full roster, so Coach Preston Cornielle has one main goal in mind: building a team.  “Our culture is very much in development under my leadership. I like to set up a practice still that does almost everything as a team and let the team set the voice on many issues. As a result, many of my athletes are exceptionally honest and disciplined,” Cornielle commented.  “Summer training is just about getting miles in; we also do exercise education and strength training. We have just concluded our team time trial. Until October, we are doing at least one lactic-based speed workout a week.”

The Yellowjackets are returning several runners from last year’s team, and besides building a culture of running in the small town, hoping to see some athletes qualify for the state finals.  “Sophia Lawrence and Bella Eash are potentially able to qualify for states this year,” Cornielle said. “They have been putting in a ton of work recently and did excellently in our time trial. I am also excited about Tucker Gascoyne and James Glod returning to our sport; they may be competitive at regionals.”

In regard to building a culture of running in Memphis, there’s one major addition that will definitely impact the district: construction on a track and field facility is expected to be completed by the end of summer.

Michigan Athletic Club for Homeschoolers

The Michigan Athletic Club for Homeschoolers is a family-oriented team for kids who want to run cross country for competition or just for fun.  

Garrett Potts (17:01) and Nathan Perez (17:38) are the team’s top returners for the boys.  With the Wessel girls now attending Romeo and racing for the Bulldogs, the top lady returner is Lauren Robinson, who has a PR of 22:35.  

New Haven

Coach Victoria Shepherd’s primary team goals for the season are to build on the growth and successes they saw last year and really allow some of the runners to see what they're capable of.  “Summer training sessions are generally just getting my runners back into running consistently. I have a few runners who are more consistent and spend these weeks ramping up their mileage and completing workouts, whereas my newer or less consistent runners are just getting a chance to get back into a routine before the school year and meets begin,” Shepherd said.

With the graduation of all-stater Max Durham, Shepherd expects Douglas Grishkevich, Ryan Beauchamp, and Emma Reimer to be her top runners this season. “Emma has seen consistent success over her high school career in both track and cross country, and I see her continuing to build on that for her senior year,” Shepherd predicted. Reimer was also listed on Michigan XC Speed Ratings’ Summer Preview’s “Darkhorses, Unknowns, and Fast Risers” category for her 22:02 to 2:26/5:45 improvement. This is where Matt Armelagos, the site founder, gives credit to “some of the kids who may never get mentioned during the season or summer; the athletes that started their career in the middle or back, then shown great progression.”

Shepherd also has high hopes for her boys’ team.  “Douglas has really committed to his running in both track last season and in the summer so far, so I'm confident that he'll have a strong season and be our top male runner. Ryan prefers competing in the sprinting distances in track, but I have seen a lot of commitment this summer and anticipate that he'll be very competitive in cross country this season.”

North Branch

The North Branch coach, Jason Castle, has set his team's sights on success within the Blue Water Area Conference (BWAC): finishing in the upper half of the BWAC. Castle expects returning athletes Charlie Fields and captain Cooper Hoyt to lead the Broncos’ boys team.  Fields was the top freshman in the BWAC last year and finished 30th at the tough Shepherd High School regional in 17:22, with Hoyt right behind in 17:23. Castle is looking to another senior captain, Hudson Budreau, to lead the team.  Other athletes he expects to contribute are Gabe Verellen, Timothy Noes, Derek Teeauds, and Ari Garcia.

On the girls’ side, Castle expects senior captain Samantha Osborne to make an impact after earning an honorable mention finish in the BWAC last fall, along with sophomore Jaylyn Bennett and junior Jolene Opperman.

Port Huron Northern 

Port Huron Northern annually faces tough D1 conference and regional competition that includes perennial distance powerhouses like Fraser, Utica, and Romeo.  

Grant Davis looks to have a breakout season for the Huskies, as he saw his first sub-17 race last fall as a junior at his regional: the year before as a sophomore, he hadn’t even run sub-18, and only raced once his freshman year.  During track, Davis won the 1600 at the Marysville Invitational and the Bluewater Meet of Champions, and ran big personal bests in all distance events from the 800 to 3200.  To earn a D1 state meet qualification based on last year’s times, he’s most likely looking at a 16:33 or faster.  Davis was only one of two regional finishers in the top 25 that didn’t qualify for the state meet, so that’s sure to be on his radar as a senior.  Oliver Howie (17:23 PR) and Sawyer Kemp (17:34 PR) also join Davis as solid senior returners.

For the ladies, Cassie Gibson (20:57 PB) and Haley Sharp (20:21 PB) return as the top two runners for PHN, with Olivia Costanzo (21:24 PB) and Taylor Westendorf (21:54 PB) moving into their second year of cross country experience.  

Port Huron High

Port Huron High currently has six rostered boys and nine girls.  The Red Hawks also compete in a tough Division 1 regional with Romeo, Fraser, and Utica.  John Goodwin, who received a mention from Michigan XC Speed Ratings for being a potential darkhorse/fast riser, can hopefully close out his senior year with yet another personal best.  

For the girls, Autumn Tasios, Laila Raska, and Layla Store all had massive improvements of multiple minutes during their seasons.

Richmond 

Mason Pietrykowski had a fantastic regional performance last fall, earning his first sub-17 PR of 16:42, then doing it again at the D2 state finals. If you take out the graduated seniors, he’s the top finisher from last year’s BWAC finals returning, and put in a solid indoor season with 16 Ways Track Club before the outdoor season.

For the Lady Blue Devils, Hailey Malear and Annaliese Shagena return as the top two runners, with both making large strides in time improvement over the season last fall.

St. Clair

After a summer camp at Timber Wolf Lake Camp (Lake City) complete with Camp Olympics including a water balloon toss, Frisbee over the head, and scavenger hunt, the Saints also fit in runs on the roads and trails in the area.

Girls’ coach Amy McNabb is looking to be competitive with regional meet schools, and that goal starts in the summer months.  “Our summer training is a lot of base-building and hill workouts to focus on conquering the 5k distance with confidence and add speed later,” McNabb stated.  “Most of our team are returning athletes vying for scoring positions who have had a dedicated summer of training.”  But don’t forget the fun: “Besides our typical daily routines for team-bonding, we also have team dinners, sleepovers, and creative runs to promote camaraderie.” Ella Thornton, Gabriella Komarowski, and Josie Komarowski all have state meet experience, qualifying last year in the low 21s.

Ethan Kreger returns as the Saints’ top male runner, dipping below 17s early in the season and closing out the post-season with some of his fastest times.  Freshman David Matthews sprinkled mid-to-low 17s throughout his season, so with some experience and consistency, he will be a solid contender.  With the state record for the longest D2 team state qualification streak (since 2000), tradition is on the line this season, particularly with the regional team reassignments.

Yale

The Bulldogs have been a perennial powerhouse in the BWAC, winning 9 of the past 10 years.  Will they repeat and make the streak a solid decade-long? With a large roster and two runners returning from the area’s top-ten times list, the odds are good… but there’s a new horse in town.  The Mustangs of Macomb Lutheran North, who edged out Yale for a regional team title the last two years by single digits, are now officially part of BWAC competition, joining the league in 2026.  Regional assignments have also been mixed up. While the Bulldogs crushed the second-place team in the league last year by 40 points, this dynamic is going to make the season storyline a bit more interesting.

Logan Rhodes (16:38) and Brady VanConant (16:39) are the top returning Yale duo, with Rhodes dropping a huge PR to finish as regional runner-up to MLN’s Macri, and VanConant won two out of three league jamborees and took third at regionals.  

At camp in Rifle River, the boys’ team put in work with plenty of miles and workouts - but made time for tubing, cornhole, movie night, ice cream sundaes, and plenty of laughs, according to head coach Ashley Garofalo.  “Most importantly, we left camp with new goals, new motivation, and a winning mindset to carry us through the season.”

For the Lady Bulldogs, summer is a time for team bonding, according to girls’ coach Erin Kovach.  “Attending a team camp builds our morale and strengthens team unity. Camp is always a highlight of our preseason. We have optional group runs multiple times per week all summer. The primary focus is to build base mileage and stamina as well as to welcome our newest runners to the team. We try to keep it fun with some ice cream runs, a couple of team breakfasts and swims, etc. We have a lot of small traditions which include camp, team dinners, scavenger hunts, and a “dress to impress” fashion show. We have also participated a few times in running the homecoming football from the opponent’s school to Yale, a tradition which was started many years ago by previous coach Pemberton. I’m not sure if we will do that one again this year or not, but we always look forward to old and new traditions each season.”

After edging out Armada by two points for the BWAC title last fall, another championship is on the team’s radar. With Lutheran North now in the league, that just got a bit more challenging.  “Our primary goals are to keep everyone healthy and support and uplift one another. With those in place, we would like to contend for the league championship and qualify again for the state finals,” Kovach confirmed. 

Saige Cole returns as the top runner for the Bulldogs, with a win at the Brown City and Marysville Invitationals and a huge PR at the state finals, running 19:38, the top time for a BWAC runner at MIS.  Lillian Bender, Katelyn Schweihofer, and Ava Childers all finished in the top 15 at regionals, as well. 

 “We are excited to welcome a few new runners to the team and have several returning as well,” Kovach stated. “Every runner is impactful whether it is because they are in scoring position or leading the team in other ways. We are looking forward to a great season!”

You can catch many Blue Water Area teams in their season opener at Cros-Lex High School on Thursday, August 20, at the Mike Jackson Invitational.

Collegiate XC: MCC/SC4

The local collegiate XC season previews are available in podcast form on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and here on the website.