Voting Now Open for Blue Water Area Cross Country Awards

Meran Miles
4 days ago
9 min read

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 must be submitted by Sunday, Dec. 21. Thank you for helping recognize and celebrate our area cross country athletes!

Link to ballot HERE.

FRESHMAN ROOKIE OF THE YEAR

First-year runner who made an immediate impact.

Qualifications: ran a full season, appeared on the Blue Water Area top times list, and qualified for the state finals (with a few exceptions).

GIRLS

Katelyn Schweihofer, Yale. PR 20:51. 6th in BWAC, 11th at regionals.
Claire Albrecht, Armada. PR 19:46. BWAC XC MVP, undefeated in BWAC meets, regional runner-up. Team’s #1 runner.
Ella Gustner, Dryden. PR 21:06. 6th in GTC, 9th at regionals.
Audra Krause, Anchor Bay. PR 20:12. 4th at James Cleverly Invite, 6th at Marysville Invitational, 27th at Macomb County Championship. 24th in tough D1 regional with Romeo. Team’s #1 runner.
Kadence Ager, Algonac. PR 21:07. Individual state meet qualifier at regionals (15th). Team’s #1 runner.

BOYS

Charlie Fields, North Branch. PR 17:23. 8th in BWAC (highest-finishing freshman), 30th at tough Shepherd regional: his time there would have qualified him for the state meet in the D2 regional at Columbus Park. Team’s #1 runner.
Caleb McBride, Marysville. PR 17:04. 6th in MAC Blue, 11th at regionals, individual state qualifier, top freshman finisher at regionals.
David Matthews, St. Clair. PR 17:18. 24th at regionals, second-fastest freshman at regionals, top-five runner for the Saints.
Gavin Bowers, Austin Catholic. PR 17:02. Team’s #1 runner. 4th at Catholic League, 4th at regionals, 52nd at D4 states.

MOST IMPROVED RUNNER

Biggest performance leap from last season.

THIS CATEGORY WAS BASED ON NOMINATIONS AND MOST CONSISTENT, SIGNIFICANT GAINS IN TIME IMPROVEMENT.

GIRLS

Shelby Theut, Austin Catholic. 26:24 to 22:32 season improvement; previous PR 31:38.
Faith Wessel, MACH. 21:53 to 19:49 season improvement, snagged the last Macomb All-County spot.
Lucy Gump, MLN. From a 24:01 to a DNF all the way back to a 20:11 at the Macomb Championships.
Joselyn Chapman, Marysville. 23:36 to 20:15 season improvement, she led the Vikings to a stunning team state meet qualification at Columbus Park.
Malencia Price, Port Huron High. 26:56 to 22:52 season improvement. The BWA track sprints/jumps MVP ran XC for the first time this year as a senior.
Eliza Thompson, Cros-Lex. 27:17 to 22:14 season improvement.
Ava Childers, Yale. 24:29 to 21:03 season improvement.
Jaylyn Bennett, North Branch. 33:39 to 24:29 season improvement.

BOYS

Maxwell Durham, New Haven. 16:58 to 16:15 season improvement. 2025 D3 All-State finish in 27th place. 9th-grade PR was 26:18. Won MAC Blue, Marysville Invitational.
Nolan Korolden, Yale. 18:28 to 16:41 season improvement; ran as Yale’s #1 for approximately half the season, ran PR at the state finals.
Logan Romain, Dryden. 18:13-17:11 season improvement, Dryden’s #1 most of the year, BTC league champ, third year state qualifier.
Logan Rhodes, Yale. 18:55-16:38 season improvement. Finished second at regionals in a PR of close to a minute to lead Yale to a state-qualifying team finish.
Brandon Gump, Lutheran North. 20:52 to 17:53 season improvement.
Clint Malcolm, Algonac. 23:29 to 18:16 season improvement.
Cooper Hoyt, North Branch. 18:50 to 17:24 season improvement.
Brandon Ziehmer, Anchor Bay. 17:45 to 16:40 season improvement.

RUNNER OF THE YEAR

A consistent top runner in our area this season.

GIRLS

Saige Cole, Yale. Ran first sub-20-minute 5K at the state finals to set a PR of 19:38. #2 in BWAC, 5th at regionals, won the Marysville Invite and Brown City Invitational.
Cara Prusakiewicz, Dryden. PR of 19:36, D4 All-State, won the Dryden Classic/and Fox and Hounds meet, regional runner-up, school record holder.
Samantha Langolf, Port Huron Northern. PR of 18:45, undefeated in MAC White competition, 9th in tough D1 regional with Romeo, 76th at D1 states.
Alannah Wessel, MACH. #1 time in the Blue Water Area with a PR of 18:41. Won the Algonac Muskrat Classic, was 5th girl in Macomb County behind Romeo/Utica.
Samantha Whitlam, Macomb Lutheran North. D2 regional champion, 2nd at Algonac Muskrat Classic, 10th in Macomb County, PR of 19:03.
Cassidy Bowers, Austin Catholic. 19:49 PR, D4 regional runner-up, D4 All-State, won the James Cleverly Invite, Cardinal Mooney/Austin Catholic Invite, and CHSL Cardinal Division.
Claire Albrecht, Armada. PR 19:46. BWAC XC MVP, undefeated in BWAC meets, regional runner-up.

BOYS

Josh Macri, Macomb Lutheran North. D-2 All State, Regional Champion, and first team all Macomb County. Set the school record of 15:53. Won the Algonac Classic and Autumn Classic. Set atop the Blue Water Area top times list all season.
Maxwell Durham, Hew Haven. D3 All State, Division Champion, Macomb All County, PR of 16:15. #2 on the area top times list. Won the Marysville Invitational,
Mason Pietrykowski, Richmond. Was one of only two Richmond team athletes, placing third in the BWAC and fourth at regionals, dropping his 5K time from 17:51 to 16:42. Third at Marysville Invitational.

Brady VanConant, Yale. BWAC MVP winning ⅔ BWAC jamborees, was 3rd at regionals. PR of 16:39.
Aaron Osterman, Anchor Bay. Top Tar all year, third-fastest on Blue Water area list, 15th in a tough D1 regional to earn his first individual state qualifier, dropped another PR at MIS in 16:17.
Julian Walker, Algonac. Won the Mariner Invitational, Skippers Showcase, Algonac Fox and Hounds, and the final BWAC jamboree; SR of 16:44.
Nolan Korolden - Yale. - Came in with a PR of 17:14 and dropped it to 16:41; consistently ran in the 16's all season and was a key component to the team's success, at times stepping up as the #1 scorer. #2 in BWAC, 7th at regionals.
Owen Beindit, Algonac. Won the Dryden Cardinal Classic, set a PR at regionals to break 17 for the third time (16:43), then did it again at the state finals (16:49); made the school's top times record board in his final season for the Muskrats. Alternated with Walker as the team’s #1.

BREAKTHROUGH PERFORMANCE AWARD

One season or race that changed their trajectory.

GIRLS

Noelle Marsh, Yale. With times in the 24-26-minute range, the majority of the fall, a season-best of 22:41 helped the Bulldogs earn their team state qualification.
Kenzie LeVey, Marysville. 23:34 to 20:16 season improvement; part of the Viking team that dropped huge PRs when it mattered most at regionals.
Madelyn Barkley, Croswell-Lexington. Battled for the win at the first BWAC Jamboree and then ran another PR (20:28) at the regional meet to finish 8th.
Taylor Stanczak, Almont. Ran a huge PR at regionals and then dropped it again (20:11) at the state meet to finish 60th, coming close to sub-20.
Sophia Lawrence, Memphis. Took her first race of 28:35 down to a 22:38 PR this season, two spots off state qualification at D4 regionals.

BOYS

Logan Rhodes, Yale. Finished second at regionals in a PR of close to a minute to lead Yale to a state-qualifying team finish.
Aaron Osterman, Anchor Bay. Finished 15th in a tough D1 regional to earn his first individual state qualifier, and he dropped another PR at MIS in 16:17 to close out his high school xc career.
Brendan Koza, Marysville. Started the season with an 18:23, ran his first sub-17-minute 5K (16:49) to finish 8th at regionals to qualify for states.
Owen Beindit, Algonac. Won the Dryden Cardinal Classic, his first cross country meet win.
Ethan Kreger, St. Clair. Ran a PR when it mattered most at regionals (16:42) and was the Saints’ #1 this season.

COMEBACK RUNNER

Overcame injury, setbacks, or adversity to return strong.

GIRLS

Lillian Bender, Yale. Despite battling hip injuries since the end of her freshman season, Bender had a successful season, coming within 30 seconds of her PR in 20:38 and running as Yale’s #2.
Chloe Boright, MLN. Injured for most of the season and ran only one race back in August in 21:38, but came back at regionals to finish in 3rd place in 19:58 to help MLN win the team title.
Claire Wright - Dryden. After 21-22 minute 5Ks the majority of the season, she ran a 20:37 at the state meet to finish in 39th, only 17 seconds off all-state status.
Blair Vert, North Branch. In her first season of cross country, she started off with a time of 32:07 and ended her season at 24:34, competing in every meet even after a hip injury.
Haley Sharp, Port Huron Northern. With her fastest season-debut ever paused for a few weeks, Sharp came back to compete at regionals and still dropped time at the MITCA Meet of Champions.
Bella Eash, Memphis. After three years out of the sport, Eash came back to run as a sophomore and drop three minutes over the course of the season.

BOYS

Xavier Roman, MLN. In the second race of the season, Roman had already broken his previous year’s PR, and despite a month of no racing from mid-September to mid-October, still ran in the 16s to earn Macomb All-County honors and later help MLN win their regional team title.
Clint Malcom, Algonac. Battled through injuries and surgeries to remain the #3 runner most of the season.

BLUE WATER CROSS COUNTRY SPIRIT AWARD

Represents sportsmanship, positivity, and heart. A supportive teammate, always uplifting others. Helps grow the sport of cross country and exemplifies perseverance and determination. DESCRIPTIONS OF EACH PERSON ARE DIRECTLY TAKEN FROM THEIR SUBMITTED NOMINATION INFORMATION. If nothing was written in the nomination by the submitter, they were not included.

GIRLS

Lizz Meister, PHN. “Liz was diagnosed with cancer this year, but still showed up to cheer on her team.”
Lydia Hollay, Yale. “Always positive, always laughing. Supportive, no matter what, and she was there for her teammates. She could be found cheering on her team as well as her competitors. If someone was walking on the course, she'd cheer them on to keep going. If she were racing, she would pace them to keep them going.”
Abigail Denoyer, Armada. “Abby was a truly positive influence on the underclassmen of her Armada XC team. Even after finishing her own exhausting races, she was always the first to rally her teammates to cheer on other runners. Not only was Abby a great leader, but she was also All Conference, All Region, and qualified for the State Meet. Her fun, contagious sense of humor brought ease and joy to every practice and meet, making this season especially memorable for everyone.”
Jaylyn Bennett, North Branch. “After being unable to compete due to injury, she was constantly cheering her teammates on, as well as other teams as they passed by on the sidelines.”
Ella Graber, Memphis. “Always positive at practice and extremely hardworking, always encouraging others on the team.”
Samantha Langolf, Port Huron Northern. “During a race at Goodells, I watched her beat her PR and wanted to congratulate her, but her entire focus went to her teammate that was struggling at the finish line with a knee injury."
Amy Campbell, Yale. “Tremendous teammate, supports others at all times, excellent sportsmanship. I think she is the best pick because she tries to include everybody in activities, and I appreciate that. She's a good leader, and she always makes everyone laugh. She also worked really hard over the summer and season, showing that you can improve, which is inspiring.”
Addy Noteboom, Armada. “Addy truly deserves the Blue Water Cross Country Spirit Award. She has been an amazing role model and motivator for her Armada XC team—especially for the freshmen. She was always cheering on her teammates, even when things didn’t go her way at certain races. Addy continued to improve all season long and earned All-Conference recognition. She was always there to lift up her teammates and support them when they needed it most. Addy also went above and beyond by organizing team dinners and bonding activities, helping bring the team closer together. What a positive, awesome leader!”

BOYS

Sincere Young, Hew Haven. “No matter if he had a good or bad day, he was the most excited to cheer his team on, always pushing everyone else to support others, and was extremely friendly and supportive at practice and meets.”
Sam Kochensparger, MLN. “He supported the team and drove to every meet while injured to cheer on his fellow teammates. A true leader who is an example for his whole team.”
Travis Olejnik, Yale. “This runner has a love of running like no other. Always there to pick up his teammates and cheer them all on.”
Grayson Clark, Algonac. “He finishes almost last every race, and yet he is always kind and upbeat, always finishes, and pushes through. Shows up to help encourage and inspire others. He continues to push until the end!”
Logan Wright, Yale. “Only a freshman, he cheered his teammates on, JV and Varsity. He got injured towards the end of the season, but he showed up to every practice and meet. He also played soccer for the high school during the season and supported players from both teams.”

COACH OF THE YEAR

The coach who led a team (or an athlete) to notable achievements and success.

Steve Slagel, Macomb Lutheran North
Erin Kovach, Yale
Emma Willet, Dryden
Rob Blume, Armada
Ashley Garofalo, Yale
Chad Mannlein, PHN
Derek Nutter, Algonac
Sarah St. Couer, Marysville

TEAM OF THE YEAR

The program that showed excellence, depth, and consistency all season.

GIRLS

Marysville Girls: seeded 5th at regionals, finished in 2nd place to qualify for the State finals as a team with five out of seven girls running PRs.
Yale Girls: BWAC champs and team state qualifiers for the first time in 13 years.
Lutheran North Girls: regional champs, D2/3/4 Macomb County champs.
Dryden Girls: state qualifiers, BTC champs.

BOYS

Lutheran North Boys: regional champs, D2/3/4 Macomb County champs. Undefeated against Blue Water Area teams.
Yale Boys: 9th-straight BWAC title, team state qualifiers.
St. Clair Boys: team state qualifiers for the 26th-straight year.
Dryden Boys: team state qualifiers, BTC champs.
Algonac Boys: with a 1-2 punch of Walker and Beindit up front and a stronger top five, they dramatically closed the scoring gap from previous years.

Link to ballot HERE.

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