The Blue Water Running Podcast

Welcome to another episode of The Blue Water Running Podcast, where we feature and celebrate the amazing high school and collegiate cross country and track and field athletes and their accomplishments from the Blue Water Area.   On Saturday, May 30, Algonac sophomore Jenna Dobbs earned her first All-State track and field medal by placing fourth at the Division 3 state finals in the 400-meter dash,...

On Saturday, May 16, North Branch’s ladies claimed the team regional crown, just edging out Orchard Lake St. Mary’s, 102-98.  Leading the way was the double-sprint champion Penelope McNutt, running qualifying state spots by winning the 100 in 13.04 and placing second in the 200 in 26.69.  Penelope teamed up with Aubree Deshetsky, Lily Hurd, and Sydney Bailey to win the 4x100 in 50.47, and also qua...

In this episode, we have our first guest from Imlay City High School: junior sprint sensation Brett Lestage.  Brett has had a fantastic season, hitting early qualifying marks in the 100 and 200-meter dash, and coming very close in the 400 meters in his first attempt at the distance.  Brett set his PR in the 100 on April 25, running 10.78 to join the elite sub-11 club and currently ranks fifth in t...

Today’s guest is North Branch senior Aubree Deshetsky, an incredibly versatile and accomplished athlete.  Aubree has dominated the throwing events in the Blue Water Area Conference, her D2 regional, and is one of the best discus and shot put athletes in the state, with current bests of 42’-4” and 136’-5”. Currently undefeated in any throwing event yet this year, she’s been All-State in both throwi...

Junior Brandon Ziehmer of Anchor Bay has been steadily improving across a variety of distances over his career. As a freshman, he ran a 53-second 400, but dropped that to 50.76 by the end of his sophomore season.  In the 800, his 9th-grade best of 2:13 is now a sub-2.  He was part of the 16 Ways Track Club 4x800-meter relay, which finished fourth at the MITCA championships and ninth in the DMR. Zi...

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 t...

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 to...

It’s the second anniversary of The Blue Water Running Podcast! It has been an incredible privilege to get to know local athletes and hear many amazing and inspiring stories from the Blue Water Area and beyond.  As we move into our third year, the top two episodes of all time so far are Season One, Episode #15 with Matt Armelagos of Michigan XC Speed Ratings, and Season One, Episode #14 with Thomas...

As 2025 wraps up and we finish another incredible year of local athletics, let's take a moment to look back on the highlights and achievements of the Blue Water Area and how athletes have shown us what it means to push limits, break barriers, and strive for greatness.  We'll be shining the spotlight on the standout performances, record-breaking moments, and inspiring stories from cross c...

Philippians 4:13 - “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.” GVSU runner Abby Vanderkooi is back for another episode of the pod and has a great perspective to share. If you haven’t heard her first interview, I highly encourage you to take a listen, as she details her incredibly inspiring story of recovering from disordered eating.  Abby was a cross country state champion for Muskego...

"The only thing that I see that is distinctly different about me is: I'm not afraid to die on a treadmill. I will not be outworked, period. You might have more talent than me, you might be smarter than me. But if we get on the treadmill together, there are two things: You're getting off first, or I'm going to die. It's really that simple." -Will Smith In this episode,...

We've got a very special guest who just wrapped up a monumental freshman cross country season, earning a prestigious national honor. Today, we're talking with Brynn Hurley, a runner for Saint Clair County Community College, better known as the SC4 Skippers. Brynn formerly ran for the Cros-Lex Pioneers, where she qualified for the state meet in cross country all four years of her high sch...

Our episode guest is Xavier Roman, a senior at Macomb Lutheran North High School.  Xavier has qualified for the state meet every year of his career and ran his PR of 16:18 early in the season on August 29 at the Golden Grizzlies Invite.  After a meet the following week, he didn’t race for almost a full month due to illness and injury, but despite that, he came back at the Macomb County Meet to tak...

"Doing the hard work is always easier than the regret you have later." Our episode guest is Maxwell Durham, a senior at New Haven High School. Max has seen significant, steady growth as a runner over the years, starting at 27 minutes for a 5K as a freshman to a 19:51 as a sophomore, 18:16 as a junior, to his PR of 16:58 this season at the Autumn Classic, where he ran 16:58. Max just won...

Our episode guest is Owen Beindit, a senior at Algonac High School. Owen has seen significant, steady growth as a runner over the years, starting at 21 minutes for a 5K as a freshman to his PR of 16:58 last year as a junior at MIS. Owen has qualified for the D3 state finals every year of his high school career and recently finished third at the second BWAC jamboree as his team’s top runner for the...

Our episode guest is Brady VanConant, a sophomore at Yale High School.  When Brady raced his first high school 5K, he ran an 18:49 and earned himself a spot in the varsity top 7, and by the end of his freshman season, he had dropped that time to the mid-17-minute range.  This year, he set a PR of 17:01 by finishing 9th at the Algonac Muskrat Classic on Sept. 6, then followed that up a few days lat...

Our episode guest is Logan Romain, a senior at Dryden High School.  Logan has come a long way in his high school cross country career, starting as a freshman in the mid-20-minute range for the 5K distance, and dropping all the way to a PR of 17:26 last week at the Holly Invitational, where he placed fifth.  Logan won the BTC Blue/Red League Meet, was the top runner for the Cardinals at last fall’s...

Our episode guest is Claire Albrecht, a freshman at Armada High School and the first ninth-grader interviewed on the podcast.  In the preseason, Matt Armelagos of Michigan Speed Ratings ranked Claire third in D2 Region 17, and she’s lived up to the prediction.  Claire opened her first high school season at the Algonac Muskrat Classic, placing tenth as the only freshman in the top ten, then followe...

Our episode guest is Madelyn Barkley, a sophomore at Cros-Lex High School. Madelyn had a great freshman season for the Pioneers last fall, dropping from a 23:01 to a 21:08 by the end of her first high school season.  She was part of her team’s top five scorers, helping them earn a team regional qualification to the D2 state finals.  Madelyn recently won the Skippers Invitational at Goodells Park o...

Our episode guest is Samantha Langolf, a senior at Port Huron Northern High School.  Sam had a breakout season for the Huskies last fall, dropping from a 21:23 in her first meet to a 19:17 PR at the state finals to become the fifth-fastest girl in school history; she returns this season with the second-fastest time from 2024 in the Blue Water Area.  Langolf and her teammate Haley Sharp also helped...

This episode features Reese Powers, a 2022 Marysville High School grad and recent Michigan State University cross country/track athlete.  Reese is a very accomplished runner: in high school, she was the 2021 Division 2 state champion in the 400-meter dash with a PR of 57.71, was all-state in the 400, 4x200, and 4x400 several times over her career, along with going four-for-four as regional champio...

Our episode guest is Leo Bearrs, a senior at Yale High School.  While local Blue Water Area athletes might recognize Leo from around the BWAC conference meets, what they might not know is that Leo is also a racewalker and steeplechaser. Leo recently won the Michigan USATF Junior Olympic Championships 3000-meter racewalk and 2K steeplechase in Olivet on June 21. He also won the regional championshi...

"The mystery of human existence lies not in just staying alive, but in finding something to live for.“ ~ Fyoder Dostoevsky Our guest is Luke Bowman , a recent graduate of Anchor Bay High School. Luke is an accomplished adaptive athlete, competing in track and field at a very competitive level, winning D1 state championships in the 400 meters and shotput for two straight years: he even wheeled...

Today's episode features a repeat guest, Noah Verlinde.  Noah first came on the pod last December in episode #30 to talk about his cross country and track experiences at Saginaw Valley State University and his trip to California to race in the NCAA D2 championship event for the first time.  Since then, Noah graduated from SVSU this spring, joined his father in the family business at Verlinde...

This episode features Algonac High School senior Kate Bennett.  Kate’s outdoor track and field career just ended in the best way possible: on May 31 at the D3 state finals at Kent City High School, she dropped a massive personal best in the 800, running 2:22.91 to finish sixth and earn All-State honors, her first trip ever to the podium.  Kate’s no stranger to the state meet: she is a three-time r...