The Blue Water Running podcast

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“You got a dream, you gotta protect it." The Pursuit of Happyness Today’s guest is Kieran Whitlam , a senior at Macomb Lutheran North High School and a member of the Inversion Vault Club. Kieran has seen phenomenal growth and success in the pole vault during his career, with his first jumps as a freshman in the mid-8 to 9-foot range moving into the 12s and 13s as a junior outdoors in 2024. Kieran was undefeated his entire junior outdoor season until the state meet, winning the Catholic High School League Championship, the D2-Region 19 Championship, and the Macomb County Championship title (regardless of division), and finished off the fall of 2024 with a 14-footer at the Vault Barn’s Halloween vault. His 2025 indoor season has continued on the same trajectory, with a 14-foot vault to win the LAB Indoor Meet #10 on February 15. Currently ranked third indoors in the state of Michigan, Keiran is a contender for an MITS championship podium finish. Pole Vault is always named by many Blue Water Area athletes and podcast guests as either their favorite field event to watch or one they’ve always wanted to try, so it’s always fun and informative to talk with a vaulter on the pod. Kieran is passionate and dedicated to the craft and sport of vaulting, so he has a lot of great advice and insight to offer during our conversation. The Blue Water Running Podcast features and celebrates the achievements of high school and collegiate cross country and track/field athletes from the Blue Water Area of Michigan. You can follow Blue Water Running on Instagram, X, TikTok, Facebook, and YouTube. You can also find meet and athlete reports and articles and a recently added merchandise shop at www.bluewaterrunning.org. We are always looking for sponsors and advertisers to partner in our mission to support local coverage of cross country and track and field. Send Blue Water Running a Message https://www.bluewaterrunning.org/ https://bluewaterrunning.buzzsprout.com Instagram and X @bluewaterrun Facebook/TikTok/Youtube @BlueWaterRunning…

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Season 2 Episode 4: Mike Buslepp, Romeo XC 43:07

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On the Michigan high school running stage, there was no bigger star in 2024 than Romeo’s girls' team. Coming off of a 2023 state title, the Bulldogs entered 2024 with big goals and high expectations. They won the Jackson Invitational, the Portage Invitational, and the Holly-Duane Raffin Festival of Races with their top five runners in the top ten places; these are all some of the most competitive invitationals in the state. They won the MAC RED Championships, the Macomb County Championships, and their regional with a perfect score of 15, taking first through seventh place in all these meets. They won the D1 state meet by 82 points, with their top six all earning all-state honors, taking 6th, 11th, 17th, 20th, 22nd, and 30th, with their seventh runner in 38th. The team then competed at Nike Cross Nationals, taking sixth overall in the country. Romeo had three athletes in the 17s most of the season and had an average team spread of around 30 seconds between their top five: if you spread it out over their top seven varsity runners, it was still less than a minute. They would have beaten quite a few when matched up against local boys’ teams. Romeo has a long history of producing one of the best programs in D1 for both boys and girls, with continuous streaks of league, county, and regional championships over many years. Their boys’ team also dominated local competition for quite some time and produced many of the state’s top runners. On this episode, we will chat with head coach Mike Buslepp, or “Bus” as he’s affectionately known to his athletes, and pick the brain of the man at the helm of the cross country powerhouse that is Romeo. Send Blue Water Running a Message https://www.bluewaterrunning.org/ https://bluewaterrunning.buzzsprout.com Instagram and X @bluewaterrun Facebook/TikTok/Youtube @BlueWaterRunning…

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Season 2 Episode 3: Matt Fecht, MCC 59:25

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In April 2022, The Macomb Community College athletics department hired Matt Fecht as the head men’s and women’s cross country coach. Fecht came from Wayne State University, where he was the assistant coach, and is an accomplished runner. He was a 2002 All-American at MCC and his team placed in the top-10 at the NJCAA championships. He went on to run for Wayne State after competing for MCC. He was a three-time national championship qualifier and an NCAA Division II All-American in 2005, taking 30th place. His 8K and 10K cross country PRs stand at 25:34 and 31:50, respectively. After college, he ran as a sponsored professional runner, qualifying for the Olympic Marathon Trials in 2012, 2016, and 2020, with a marathon PR of 2:17 and a half marathon PR of 1:06. For the high school runners listening, he ran at Warren Mott, where he currently teaches and coaches, and set the school record at that time during his senior year in 16:12. While at MCC, Fecht has led the program to new successes. For the first time since 1996, the men’s program won the MCCAA Eastern Conference Championship this past fall, along with a second-place finish at the Region 12 championships, to qualify them for the national meet, where they finished in the top ten teams. The women’s team qualified two individuals to the national meet and Ava LaMilza was the MCCAA Eastern Conference Runner of the Year. As posted on the MCC athletics website, Fecht had this to say about his position: “Having started my career here, coaching at Macomb is sort of like a homecoming for me,” Fecht continued. “While at Macomb, I was able to grow and have success at the national level and ultimately transfer on scholarship to a four-year institution. Had it not been for the opportunity I was afforded at Macomb, I don’t think I would have gone on to have the success I was able to have in both my collegiate career, as well as my professional running career. It will be my goal to provide future Monarchs the same opportunities I was afforded, both in the classroom and on the course.” In this episode, Matt will give us insight into the growth and vision of the program, the benefits of running for a community college team, and what experiences students can expect as an MCC athlete in the cross country or track program. I’ll leave you with a quote by the late great Steve Prefontaine, who would have celebrated his 74th birthday on January 25, “To give anything less than your best is to sacrifice the gift.” Once again, thank you so much for tuning into today’s Blue Water Running podcast. If you missed any of our episodes this year, be sure to check them out on the website at (www.bluewaterrunning.org), or by searching for The Blue Water Running Podcast on your favorite podcasting app. If you enjoyed today’s podcast, please share, subscribe, and leave a review. You can find The Blue Water Running Podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, and other major media players. You can also ask Alexa to play The Blue Water Running Podcast. If you’d like to partner with Blue Water Running to sponsor our work and advertise your business, please reach out via the website or social media links. Sponsorship options offer a range of benefits, including podcast and website ads, social media shoutouts, and more. Send Blue Water Running a Message https://www.bluewaterrunning.org/ https://bluewaterrunning.buzzsprout.com Instagram and X @bluewaterrun Facebook/TikTok/Youtube @BlueWaterRunning…

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Season 2 Episode 2: Lily Lemanski, SC4 18:46

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On this episode, our guest is Lily Lemanski, a 2024 graduate of Marlette High School. On the track, Lily has tried almost every event, from the 4x100 at the state meet to consistent seasons of long jump and high jump. In both her junior and senior years, Lily was a GTL East Conference champion between the mile with a PR of 5:48 and the 800. A regional runner-up in the 800 both years, her highest finish was 13th at the D4 state meet in 2:30. She didn’t run cross country until her junior year and ended her season with a 20:29 PR. By her senior year, she was regional runner-up and D4 All-State, taking 21st in 19:41. This past fall as a freshman at SC4, Lily set the school record in 19:40. The women’s team was first at the highly competitive MSU Spartan Invite. Second in their conference, three individuals qualified for the national meet, and in 2023 they were eleventh overall as a team at nationals. Lily took 44th in 20:03 at the NJCAA D2 XC Championships. Just this winter, SC4 launched its inaugural track and field season, allowing local athletes to continue their field event or sprint careers as Skippers. Lily will chat with us about her high school career, competing for a community college team, her experiences as an SC4 athlete in the cross country program, and her current and future goals for running. Once again, thank you so much for tuning into today’s Blue Water Running podcast. I can’t wait to feature more cross country and track and field athletes from the Blue Water Area…stay tuned because it might just be YOU! If you enjoyed today’s podcast, please share, subscribe, and leave a review. You can find The Blue Water Running Podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, and other major media players. You can also ask Alexa to play The Blue Water Running Podcast. If you have an idea for a great topic or guest you’d like to hear about, feel free to contact me through the website links or show notes. Send Blue Water Running a Message https://www.bluewaterrunning.org/ https://bluewaterrunning.buzzsprout.com Instagram and X @bluewaterrun Facebook/TikTok/Youtube @BlueWaterRunning…

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Season 2 Episode 1: Indoor Track & Field Recap #1 14:45

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Indoor Track and Field Recap: Dec. 14, 2024-Jan. 12, 2025 Welcome to 2025 and a new year and podcast season of all things cross country and track and field! I’m your host Meran and this is the Blue Water Running podcast, which features the accomplishments of local high school and collegiate athletes from the Blue Water Area of Michigan. Winter is upon us and if you aren’t participating in another sport, perhaps you are honing your track and field skills indoors. The Michigan Indoor Track and Field Series kicked off at Grand Valley State University with two meets on Dec. 7 and the weekend of Dec. 13/14. There was another west-side competition at Aquinas and an east-side meet at the Lincoln Athletic Building (known as the LAB facility) on the 14th. There were two more meets at the LAB before Christmas, a pole vault event at the Vault Barn, and since the new year GVSU hosted again, there have been two more meets at the LAB, and this past Saturday, Jan. 11, the first Saginaw Valley University MITS meet took place, along with a meet at Hillsdale College. In this episode, I’ll aggregate results from the high school indoor meets thus far into one report and sum up the results from Dec. 14, 2024, to Jan. 12, 2025. Reporting on indoor track and field is quite tricky from a logistical standpoint: there are no school names allowed to be listed, athletes must run unattached or under a club name, and they can’t wear a high school jersey. Relays are a challenge since athletes are running with people who don’t even go to their school (sidenote: it’s a cool thing to see athletes from different schools teaming up). Therefore, it’s inevitable that I will miss someone’s name. In a perfect world, the MHSAA would just let indoor track be an official school sport, but until that day, I’ll be continuously cross-checking names against Athletic.net and doing my best. If you email or message me and let me know, I’ll be sure to add it to the results article on the website. Pictures are always welcome too, as I’m not able to get to as many meets as I’d like to because - believe it or not - my children, while all cross country and track runners, never competed in high school indoor track. They played basketball instead, so I’m courtside instead of trackside most of the winter. So, hang on for the highlights, forgive me if I mispronounce your name or missed your results, and I always appreciate your support of the site and your willingness to share your accomplishments with Blue Water Running! If you missed any of our podcast episodes this year, be sure to check them out on the website at (www.bluewaterrunning.org), or by searching for The Blue Water Running Podcast on your favorite podcasting app. Don't forget to follow Blue Water Running on social media to stay up-to-date on all the latest news and updates from local track and field and cross country in the Blue Water Area on Facebook, Instagram, X, TikTok, and YouTube. If you’d like to partner with Blue Water Running to advertise your business and promote local runners, please reach out via the website or social media links! https://forms.gle/s4GD7qwWMA5RPBsK Send Blue Water Running a Message https://www.bluewaterrunning.org/ https://bluewaterrunning.buzzsprout.com Instagram and X @bluewaterrun Facebook/TikTok/Youtube @BlueWaterRunning…

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Episode #33: Top Moments of 2024 34:25

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Top Blue Water Running Moments of 2024 Welcome to the final stretch of 2024! As we finish another incredible year of local athletics, I’d like to take a moment to look back on the highlights and achievements of the Blue Water Area and how local athletes have shown us what it means to push limits, break barriers, and strive for greatness. I'm your host, Meran, and this is episode #33 of The Blue Water Running Podcast. In this special year-end episode, we'll spotlight the standout performances, record-breaking moments, and inspiring stories from cross country and track and field in our community this year. So, lace up your shoes, prepare to sprint into the new year, and join me as we celebrate the best of Blue Water Running from 2024. As we head into the new year, I’m so excited to see what's in store for our local athletes. Keep dreaming, keep working, and I will see you out there soon. Here’s a quote from Amby Burfoot, the Boston Marathon winner in 1968 and the editor-in-chief of Runner’s World for many years. “Running has taught me, perhaps more than anything else, that there's no reason to fear starting lines... or any other new beginnings”. I want to thank everyone who has supported Blue Water Running this year. It’s been a true honor and privilege to get to know you and be able to showcase your accomplishments to the community and beyond. Thanks again to our listeners for tuning in. If you missed any of our episodes this year, be sure to check them out on the website at (www.bluewaterrunning.org), or by searching for The Blue Water Running Podcast on your favorite podcasting app. Don't forget to follow Blue Water Running on social media to stay up-to-date on all the latest news and updates from local track and field and cross country in the Blue Water Area on Facebook, Instagram, X, TikTok, and YouTube. If you’d like to partner with Blue Water Running to advertise your business and promote local runners, please reach out via the website or social media links! I wish you a happy and healthy 2025. Work hard, set big goals, and believe that this new year is another opportunity to chase your dreams. Send Blue Water Running a Message https://www.bluewaterrunning.org/ https://bluewaterrunning.buzzsprout.com Instagram and X @bluewaterrun Facebook/TikTok/Youtube @BlueWaterRunning…

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Episode #31: Andrea Rheaume (SC4 Women's XC/Track Coach) 39:13

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Hello and welcome to The Blue Water Running Podcast ! I’m your host, Meran, and this podcast features and celebrates the achievements of high school and collegiate cross country and track/field athletes from the Blue Water Area of Michigan. You can follow Blue Water Running on Instagram, X, TikTok, Facebook, and YouTube. You can also find meet and athlete reports/articles and a recently added merchandise shop at www.bluewaterrunning.org . We have a BOGO special for this week's podcast: on episode #31 is Andrea Rheaume, who serves as the head women’s cross country and track coach for St. Clair Community College, known as SC4, then on episode #32 Coach Max Whittredge will focus on the men’s program. With Andrea and Max at the helm, the Skippers have seen incredible success and growth in their program over the last several years. The women’s team was first at the highly competitive MSU Spartan Invite and second in their conference, sending three individuals to the national meet, and in 2023 they were eleventh overall as a team at nationals. The men’s team placed in the top ten at the National Junior College Athletic Association’s (NJCAA) DII Men's Cross Country Championship in 2022, making school history. This year, they were second in the junior college division at the Spartan Invitational, second in their conference, and twelfth in the nation. Both programs saw school records set in the last two seasons, with the men’s record set last year at 25:35 by Glen Davis (PHN), who was named the Michigan Community College Athletic Association’s (MCCAA) Men’s Cross Country Runner of the Week twice, and also awarded the U.S. Track and Field/Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) National Athlete Award of the Week - the first athlete from St. Clair County to do so for cross country. The women’s cross country record was set this year by Lily Lemanski (Marlette) at 19:40. In the spring, SC4 will launch its inaugural season of track and field, giving local athletes the chance to also continue their field event or sprint careers as a Skipper. Both coaches will give us some insight into the growth and vision of the programs, the benefits of running for a community college team, and what experiences students can expect as an SC4 athlete in the cross country or track program. Thank you so much for tuning into today’s Blue Water Running podcast. I can’t wait to feature more cross country and track and field athletes from the Blue Water Area…stay tuned because it might just be YOU! If you enjoyed today’s podcast, please share, subscribe, and leave a review. You can find The Blue Water Running Podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, and other major media players. You can also ask Alexa to play The Blue Water Running Podcast. Send Blue Water Running a Message https://www.bluewaterrunning.org/ https://bluewaterrunning.buzzsprout.com Instagram and X @bluewaterrun Facebook/TikTok/Youtube @BlueWaterRunning…

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Episode #32: Max Whittredge (SC4 Men's XC/Track Coach) 44:33

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Episode #30: Noah Verlinde 50:07

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“I’m not defined by any particular result I could ever achieve, but more so am proud of the work I put in and the attitude that I had going in trying to achieve those goals, and whether or not I was able to bring people along the way to help them as I go up as well. That’s a universal lesson and probably the greatest lesson running has given me.” Hello and welcome to episode #30 of The Blue Water Running Podcast! On November 23, the Division 2 cross country national meet was held at Haggin Oaks Golf Complex in Sacramento, California. Saginaw Valley State University’s men’s cross country team earned an at-large bid to compete and finished 17th, one of SVSU’s highest finishes at this event. Noah Verlinde, a senior, finished the race as the sixth man for the Cardinals in his 10K personal best of 32:41. A 2020 graduate of Armada High School and former Blue Water Area Conference athlete, he won two of the three BWAC cross country jamborees his senior year, qualified for the Division 2 MHSAA state finals all four years of his high school career, and narrowly missed all-state as a 12th grader, finishing 32nd. Noah has 5K PRs of 16:22 for high school and 14:31 collegiately, and an 8K PR of 25:08. He joins us on this episode to talk about his first trip to D2 Nationals, his experiences during collegiate training and racing, and other insights about the sport, its challenges, and how to keep a good perspective on balancing life as a runner. Definitely stay for the whole conversation, as Noah has a lot of great advice to share. “Everything worth doing is hard. The more worth doing it is, the harder it is. The greater the payoff the greater the hardship. If it’s hard, good.” - Alex Harmozi Once again, thank you so much for tuning into today’s Blue Water Running podcast. If you enjoyed today’s episode, please share, subscribe, and leave a review. The Blue Water Running Podcast is on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, and other major media players. You can also ask Alexa to play The Blue Water Running Podcast. If you have an idea for a great topic or guest you’d like to hear about, feel free to contact me through the website links or show notes. You can follow Blue Water Running on Instagram, X, TikTok, Facebook, and YouTube. You can also find meet and athlete reports and articles at www.bluewaterrunning.org . Send Blue Water Running a Message https://www.bluewaterrunning.org/ https://bluewaterrunning.buzzsprout.com Instagram and X @bluewaterrun Facebook/TikTok/Youtube @BlueWaterRunning…

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Episode #29: The Me-Ran Miles Story 33:32

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When the cross country season ends, many athletes feel excitement, pride, satisfaction, confidence, or a sense of accomplishment. For many others, though, the reality is not so positive: they might feel disappointment, inadequacy, relief that they are done racing, or sadly even a sense of failure. Perhaps their season didn’t live up to their expectations: they couldn’t run due to an injury or illness, they didn’t get faster, they didn’t run what they had previously in their career, they didn’t get that PR, they didn’t get all-league, region, all-state, etc. Whatever they were chasing didn’t happen. I can speak from personal experience that the end of the season is NOT always a celebration for many athletes; in fact, many leave with unmet expectations, unrealized goals and dreams, and might even feel full of regret. It seems to be an unspoken rule that you should get faster and always see continual and linear progression, but that is not always realistic. I started Blue Water Running to focus on the incredible athletes we have in our area. Fast times, improvements, and accomplishments make great stories, articles, and podcasts, and those elements are exciting and noteworthy. It’s admirable and understandable to strive toward goals, but let’s take a moment here to recognize that all of those achievements I mentioned aren’t necessarily requirements for a successful and fulfilling running career. You don’t have to have your life and identity defined and dictated by your successes and failures, especially in running. Believe me: I’ve lived that frustration, hopelessness, and discouragement. The Blue Water Running podcast has allowed me to feature many different versions of athletes’ success stories, but on this episode, I’m sharing my story in the hope that if there’s someone stuck in a rut, an injury cycle, a performance plateau, a season of discouragement; whatever it is, it will help them hold on for a breakthrough. This episode is all about encouraging you to keep going. Keep working, keep dreaming, keep hoping, and most of all, believe that you aren’t done yet. There’s a whole new beginning just waiting. You never know what you could become, so get out there and chase those dreams. Ecclesiastes 9:11 says, "I have observed something else under the sun. The fastest runner doesn't always win the race, and the strongest warrior doesn't always win the battle. The wise sometimes go hungry, and the skillful are not necessarily wealthy. And those who are educated don't always lead successful lives. It is all decided by chance, by being in the right place at the right time…Time and chance happen to them all.” Give yourself time, and give yourself a chance. I’m always rooting for you. Send Blue Water Running a Message https://www.bluewaterrunning.org/ https://bluewaterrunning.buzzsprout.com Instagram and X @bluewaterrun Facebook/TikTok/Youtube @BlueWaterRunning…

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Episode #28: The Wessel Sisters - Alannah and Faith 23:03

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Hello and welcome to episode #28 of The Blue Water Running Podcast! This podcast features and celebrates the achievements of high school and collegiate cross country and track/field athletes from the Blue Water Area of Michigan. This episode features the Wessel sisters, Alannah and Faith, who run for the Macomb Athletic Club for Homeschoolers (MACH). Alannah is a freshman and Faith is a sophomore and both have had a very successful and consistent cross country season thus far in 2024. Alannah claimed five invitational wins this fall with a PR of 19:07 and was the only freshman to earn All-County honors at the Macomb County Championships. She also has a mile indoor personal best of 5:36 as an eighth-grader. Faith has dropped almost a minute off her season’s best from 2023, running a PR of 20:09 and finishing right behind her sister for runner-up honors at the Dakota Carnival of Races. Both girls have a unique perspective on training and racing, as their schedules are individualized: they are not constrained by the hours of a typical school day. Since they do not compete for a public or private school team with a school coach under the MHSAA governing body, they are not eligible to compete at regionals or the state finals. We will chat with Alannah and Faith, hear about what learning and training look like from their perspectives, and learn some new things about both girls as athletes and people. Once again, thank you so much for tuning into today’s Blue Water Running podcast. I can’t wait to feature more cross country and track and field athletes from the Blue Water Area…stay tuned because it might just be YOU! Blue Water Running is sponsored in part by Elite Feet of Port Huron. If you need running shoes, spikes, or apparel, they have a friendly and knowledgeable staff to help you find the right fit and they are big fans of running, too. They are located at 327 Huron Ave in downtown Port Huron. If you are interested in sponsoring coverage or partnering with Blue Water Running as an advertiser to reach and support local runners, please reach out via our website, show notes, or social media channels. If you enjoyed today’s podcast, please share, subscribe, and leave a review. You can find The Blue Water Running Podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, and other major media players. You can also ask Alexa to play The Blue Water Running Podcast. If you have an idea for a great topic or guest you’d like to hear about, feel free to reach out through the website links or show notes. You can follow Blue Water Running on Instagram, X, TikTok, Facebook, and YouTube. You can also find meet and athlete reports and articles at www.bluewaterrunning.org. Send Blue Water Running a Message https://www.bluewaterrunning.org/ https://bluewaterrunning.buzzsprout.com Instagram and X @bluewaterrun Facebook/TikTok/Youtube @BlueWaterRunning…

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Episode #27: Samantha Whitlam 12:15

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Hello and welcome to episode #27 of The Blue Water Running Podcast! This podcast features and celebrates the achievements of high school and collegiate cross country and track/field athletes from the Blue Water Area of Michigan. Today’s episode features cross country sophomore Samantha Whitlam of Macomb Lutheran North. Sam recently broke her own personal record in a big way at the Macomb County Championships, running her first sub-20 5K in 19:46 to finish 17th to earn All-County honors while leading her team to a D2/3/4 small team championship trophy. She has made steady improvement all season and did the same in track last spring, finishing second at regionals in the 800 and competing at the state meet, running a 2:21. She has a best of 5:36 in the 1600, as well. She’s currently ranked second in Region 17 and Lutheran North is in a close statistical match-up for the team title with St. Clair, with the two teams separated by 3 hypothetical points. We will chat with Samantha about her season, goals, and training and get to know her personally as an athlete. As her favorite quote says, "How bad do you want it?" Once again, thank you so much for tuning into today’s Blue Water Running podcast. I can’t wait to feature more cross country and track and field athletes from the Blue Water Area…stay tuned because it might just be YOU! Coverage on Blue Water Running is sponsored by Elite Feet of Port Huron. If you need running shoes, spikes, or apparel, they have a friendly and knowledgeable staff to help you find the right fit and they are big fans of running, too. They are located at 327 Huron Ave in downtown Port Huron. If you are interested in sponsoring coverage or partnering with Blue Water Running as an advertiser to reach and support local runners, please reach out via our website, show notes, or social media channels. If you enjoyed today’s podcast, please share, subscribe, and leave a review. The Blue Water Running Podcast is on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, and other major media players. You can also ask Alexa to play The Blue Water Running Podcast. If you have an idea for a great topic or guest you’d like to hear about, feel free to contact me through the website links or show notes. You can follow Blue Water Running on Instagram, X, TikTok, Facebook, and YouTube. You can also find meet and athlete reports and articles at www.bluewaterrunning.org . Send Blue Water Running a Message https://www.bluewaterrunning.org/ https://bluewaterrunning.buzzsprout.com Instagram and X @bluewaterrun Facebook/TikTok/Youtube @BlueWaterRunning…

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Episode #26: Joshua Macri 16:38

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Hello and welcome to episode #26 of The Blue Water Running Podcast! This podcast features and celebrates the achievements of high school and collegiate cross country and track/field athletes from the Blue Water Area of Michigan. Today’s episode features sophomore Josh Macri of Macomb Lutheran North. Josh has been tearing up the grass this season and has made significant time improvements. He came into the 2024 cross country season with a personal best of 17:49 from his freshman season last year. He began this year with a statement, finishing second at the Lamplighter Invite in 16:32, and has since dropped his PR to 16:12. He won several invitationals, including The Lake St. Clair Earlybird Invitational, the Algonac Muskrat Classic, the Autumn Classic Invite, the Dakota Carnival of Races, and the Catholic High School League Jamboree, and has been runner-up at quite a few more. He was recently named to the Macomb All-County team for his seventh-place finish at the county championships in 16:29, leading his team to the small-school D2/3/4 division trophy. To put Josh’s improvement into perspective, he finished 74th there in 18:37 last year. He is currently ranked first in D2 Region 17 by a solid 45 seconds. To top off the incredible season he’s having, he also plays soccer in addition to running cross country. We will chat with Josh about his season so far, the challenges of dual-sporting, his factors for success and goals moving forward, and get to know him personally as an athlete. Take Josh's dad's advice: "Play YOUR game." Once again, thank you so much for tuning into today’s Blue Water Running podcast. I can’t wait to feature more cross country and track and field athletes from the Blue Water Area…stay tuned because it might just be YOU! Coverage on Blue Water Running is sponsored by Elite Feet of Port Huron. If you need running shoes, spikes, or apparel, they have a friendly and knowledgeable staff to help you find the right fit and they are big fans of running, too. They are located at 327 Huron Ave in downtown Port Huron. If you are interested in sponsoring coverage or partnering with Blue Water Running as an advertiser to reach and support local runners, please reach out via our website, show notes, or social media channels. If you enjoyed today’s podcast, please share, subscribe, and leave a review. You can find The Blue Water Running Podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, and other major media players. You can also ask Alexa to play The Blue Water Running Podcast. If you have an idea for a great topic or guest you’d like to hear about, feel free to contact me through the website links or show notes. You can follow Blue Water Running on Instagram, X, TikTok, Facebook, and YouTube. You can also find meet and athlete reports and articles at www.bluewaterrunning.org . Send Blue Water Running a Message https://www.bluewaterrunning.org/ https://bluewaterrunning.buzzsprout.com Instagram and X @bluewaterrun Facebook/TikTok/Youtube @BlueWaterRunning…

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Episode #25: Cara Prusakiewicz 15:48

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Hello and welcome to episode #25 of The Blue Water Running Podcast! This podcast features and celebrates the achievements of high school and collegiate cross country and track/field athletes from the Blue Water Area of Michigan. Today’s episode features cross country junior Cara Prusakiewicz of Dryden High School, the first Cardinal runner on the pod. Cara recently broke her school record at the Holly Festival of Races, taking ninth place in 20:56, her best on a hilly and technical course. Cara didn’t see sub-21 minutes last year until her final race when she ran a 20:59 at Shepherd during the Meet of Champions, so she’s already ahead of that time mid-season. Cara first set the Dryden High School cross country record at last year’s D4 state finals in 21:00, breaking the former record of 21:01, set by Ella Kage in 2019. In the Michigan XC Speed Ratings’ mid-season regional projections, Cara is currently ranked third individually in region 35; she was ranked ninth in the pre-season preview. We will hear from Cara about her season, goals, and training and get to know her personally as an athlete in the Blue Water Area. Send Blue Water Running a Message https://www.bluewaterrunning.org/ https://bluewaterrunning.buzzsprout.com Instagram and X @bluewaterrun Facebook/TikTok/Youtube @BlueWaterRunning…

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Episode #24: Amanda Maltese 29:49

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