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 regional champ and state qualifier in the 800, but her times kept dropping all spring into uncharted territory. Her prior 800 best last year was a 2:34, and in the 1600 her sophomore year it was a 6:26. This year? She ran a 5:42 mile at the Muskrat Classic and claimed the Blue Water Meet of Champions title in the 800 in 2:26, her fastest before the state finals. She also had a successful fall cross-country campaign, taking last year’s PR of 21:40 to a 20:34 and qualifying for the state meet at MIS. Kate will head to SC4 this fall to continue her collegiate running career.

Joshua 1:9 “Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.”

Thank you so much for listening to the podcast: please share an episode to help spread the word about Blue Water Running’s mission, which is to feature and celebrate the achievements of high school and collegiate cross country and track/field athletes from our area. You can follow Blue Water Running on Instagram, X, TikTok, Facebook, and YouTube, along with athlete and meet reports and photos on the website at bluewaterrunning.org.

Coverage of 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 have spent years supporting local athletes in the Blue Water Area. They are located at 327 Huron Ave in downtown Port Huron.

Verlinde Insurance, located in Richmond, Michigan, is a new supporter of coverage on Blue Water Running. Training as an athlete teaches you resilience and preparation. Apply those lessons to your life with their insurance plans. Be ready for anything with them by your side. You can visit Verlindeinsurance.com or email Noah@Verlindeinsurance.com for more information.

Send Blue Water Running a Message

https://www.bluewaterrunning.org/
https://bluewaterrunning.buzzsprout.com

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Eli Bickel, a North Branch High School junior, joins me to discuss his accomplishments this year in the shot put and discus. Eli earned All-State in the discus by finishing as the runner-up at the D2 state finals on May 31 with a new personal best of 180'-9" and also finished tenth in the shot put in 52’-2.25”. He has had a season of massive improvements: last year, his bests were 47'-11" and 149’, so he’s throwing significantly farther than he did as a sophomore. His shot put best stands at 56’-2” after this season. Eli now holds North Branch school records in both the shot and disc, as well as the Blue Water Area Conference records.

“Hard work beats talent when talent doesn’t work hard.” - Tim Notke
“Failure to train is training to fail.” - unknown

Thank you so much for listening to the podcast: please share an episode to help spread the word about Blue Water Running’s mission, which is to feature and celebrate the achievements of high school and collegiate cross country and track/field athletes from our area. You can follow Blue Water Running on Instagram, X, TikTok, Facebook, and YouTube, along with athlete and meet reports and photos on the website at bluewaterrunning.org.

Coverage of 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 have spent years supporting local athletes in the Blue Water Area. They are located at 327 Huron Ave in downtown Port Huron.

Verlinde Insurance, located in Richmond, Michigan, is a new supporter of coverage on Blue Water Running. Training as an athlete teaches you resilience and preparation. Apply those lessons to your life with their insurance plans. Be ready for anything with them by your side. You can visit Verlindeinsurance.com or email Noah@Verlindeinsurance.com for more information.

Send Blue Water Running a Message

https://www.bluewaterrunning.org/
https://bluewaterrunning.buzzsprout.com

• Instagram and X @bluewaterrun
• Facebook/TikTok/Youtube @BlueWaterRunning

This episode features St. Clair High School junior Colin Boullard. At the Anchor Bay Invitational on May 2, Colin ran his best of 15.12 seconds in the 110-meter hurdles, a PR by close to half a second and meeting the Division 2 state early qualifying mark of 15.3 seconds. Colin is currently the second-fastest high school boy in the event in the Blue Water Running coverage area behind another D1 EQ hurdler, Jonah Konarz of Anchor Bay. As of the recording of this podcast, he also ranked in the top ten in the state for the event. Colin is also a 300-meter hurdler with a PR of 41.38, which he ran this weekend at the Marysville Invitational, placing first. Colin will give us some insight into his introduction and progression into the hurdling events, how he deals with injuries and setbacks, and what keeps him moving forward to seek improvement each year.

I’ll leave you with a quote by Grant Holloway, the 2024 Paris Olympic gold medalist in the 110-meter hurdles and the second-fastest man in history at the event with a personal best of 12.81 seconds, set at the U.S. Olympic Trials on June 26, 2021. He is also a three-time outdoor world champion. In the 60-meter hurdles, Holloway is a three-time world indoor champion and the world indoor record holder with a time of 7.27 seconds set at the 2024 USA Indoor Track and Field Championships.

“Run fast and do what you have to do. I try to not even stress... you just let me know where and when I need to run. The main thing is executing and being prepared and ready when it matters most."

Thank you so much for listening to the podcast: please share an episode to help spread the word about Blue Water Running’s mission, which is to feature and celebrate the achievements of high school and collegiate cross country and track/field athletes from our area. You can follow Blue Water Running on Instagram, X, TikTok, Facebook, and YouTube, along with athlete and meet reports and photos on the website at bluewaterrunning.org.

Coverage of 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 have spent years supporting local athletes in the Blue Water Area. They are located at 327 Huron Ave in downtown Port Huron.

Verlinde Insurance, located in Richmond, Michigan, is a new supporter of coverage on Blue Water Running. Training as an athlete teaches you resilience and preparation. Apply those lessons to your life with their insurance plans. Be ready for anything with them by your side. You can visit Verlindeinsurance.com or email Noah@Verlindeinsurance.com for more information.

Send Blue Water Running a Message

https://www.bluewaterrunning.org/
https://bluewaterrunning.buzzsprout.com

• Instagram and X @bluewaterrun
• Facebook/TikTok/Youtube @BlueWaterRunning

This episode features North Branch senior Thomas Kann. At the Davison Twilight Classic on May 2, Thomas dropped a huge PR and went sub-50 seconds in the open 400-meter dash, running 49.94 to take second place and hit the early qualifying standard of 50.30 for the D2 state finals. This is only the third time Kann has ever raced the 400 meters in his career, and it will be the first time he takes a trip to the state meet. He is currently the fastest high school boy in the event in the Blue Water Running coverage area, now sitting at number one on the top-ten area performance list by over a second. As of the recording of this episode, he also ranked fifth in the state in the D2 400. After a somewhat heartbreaking regional meet last season, it’s great to see Tommy returning with amazing performances and a bit of a redemption tour. Stay tuned to hear his plans and goals for this season, his thoughts on the 800 meters as well, and get to know him as a Blue Water Area athlete.

Thank you so much for listening to the podcast: please share an episode to help spread the word about Blue Water Running’s mission, which is to feature and celebrate the achievements of high school and collegiate cross country and track/field athletes from our area. You can follow Blue Water Running on Instagram, X, TikTok, Facebook, and YouTube, along with athlete and meet reports and photos on the website at bluewaterrunning.org.

Send Blue Water Running a Message

https://www.bluewaterrunning.org/
https://bluewaterrunning.buzzsprout.com

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In this episode, Cameron Gramzow, an Anchor Bay High School junior, joins me to discuss his incredible improvement this year in the shot put and discus. Cameron recently set personal bests in both events this week at the MAC Red meet against Dakota High School: he threw 49’-6” in the shot put and 163’-1” in the discus, and currently tops the Blue Water Area performance list. He also set a new school record in the discus, breaking a 47-year-old mark held by Scott Gostovich at 156’-6” from 1977, and met the EQ mark. Since it was at a duel meet, he’ll have to throw it again, which shouldn’t be a problem: Cameron has been throwing a PR pretty much every meet since the start of the season. Last year, his bests were 40’-5.5” and 143’-9”, so he’s throwing significantly farther than he did as a sophomore. Cameron also trains and competes for club Kaizen Throws, and during the indoor season earned all-state honors by placing seventh in the discus with a throw of 148’-7”, 32 feet farther than last indoor season. We will chat with Cameron about his training, recent performances, and goals for the season, and we will get to know him as an athlete and a person.

Thank you so much for listening to the podcast: please share an episode to help spread the word about Blue Water Running’s mission, which is to feature and celebrate the achievements of high school and collegiate cross country and track/field athletes from our area. You can follow Blue Water Running on Instagram, X, TikTok, Facebook, and YouTube, along with athlete and meet reports and photos on the website at bluewaterrunning.org.

Blue Water Running coverage 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. They have spent years supporting local athletes in the Blue Water Area. They are located at 327 Huron Ave in downtown Port Huron.

Verlinde Insurance, located in Richmond, Michigan, is a new supporter of coverage on Blue Water Running. Training as an athlete teaches you resilience and preparation. Apply those lessons to your life with their insurance plans. Be ready for anything with them by your side. You can visit Verlindeinsurance.com or email Noah@Verlindeinsurance.com for more information.

Send Blue Water Running a Message

https://www.bluewaterrunning.org/
https://bluewaterrunning.buzzsprout.com

• Instagram and X @bluewaterrun
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In this episode, I am joined by two of the most delightful ladies in area track and field: Yale High School’s Sadie Dykstra, a junior, and Keirra Taube, a senior. Not only are they both incredibly talented and accomplished athletes, but they are also humble, hard-working, and hilarious. Sadie is a D2 state champion in the long jump and hurdles, while Keirra is a state indoor champ in the high jump and an outdoor runner-up. Together, this dynamic duo led Yale to a second-place team finish: that’s right, the two of them (plus two more ladies on their 4x400 relay) earned enough points to garnish a runner-up trophy at the state meet.

Our conversation will cover their individual and team goals, their training, but most importantly, their unique friendship, and I think you’ll find Sadie and Keirra just as fun and interesting as I did...and maybe not exactly what you may have expected.

Please share an episode to help spread the word about Blue Water Running’s mission. You can follow Blue Water Running on Instagram, X, TikTok, Facebook, and YouTube, along with athlete and meet reports and photos on the website at bluewaterrunning.org.

Coverage of 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 have spent years supporting local athletes in the Blue Water Area. They are located at 327 Huron Ave in downtown Port Huron.

Verlinde Insurance, located in Richmond, Michigan, is a new supporter of coverage on Blue Water Running. Training as an athlete teaches you resilience and preparation. Apply those lessons to your life with their insurance plans. Be ready for anything with them by your side. You can visit Verlindeinsurance.com or email Noah@Verlindeinsurance.com for more information.

Send Blue Water Running a Message

https://www.bluewaterrunning.org/
https://bluewaterrunning.buzzsprout.com

• Instagram and X @bluewaterrun
• Facebook/TikTok/Youtube @BlueWaterRunning

It’s the first anniversary of The Blue Water Running Podcast! One year, forty episodes, and 3500 downloads later, it’s been an incredible privilege to get to know local athletes and hear many amazing and inspiring stories from the Blue Water Area and beyond.

The top two episodes from last year are episode #15 with Matt Armelagos of Michigan XC Speed Ratings, where I heard firsthand from one of the state’s foremost experts on statistics in cross country and track, and the transparent and brave story of Abigail VanderKoi in episode #20, where she shared her journey of recovery and continuing progress in fighting an eating disorder while striving to achieve success in athletics.

The very first episode of the podcast aired on March 28, 2024, and featured 2023 Armada graduate Camden Khon (who happens to be my oldest child). Camden runs cross country, indoor, and outdoor track for Spring Arbor University, where he recently earned indoor NAIA All-American status by taking fourth in the mile in 4:10 and third in the Distance Medley Relay in a new school record of 9:52, in which he ran the 800-meter leg. I invited Camden back to the pod to reflect on the last year and his progress from a tenth-grader in high school to a collegiate sophomore: he didn’t start in the sport immediately winning or setting records, and has put in years of hard work to see success. You can still grow and improve each year, even if the results aren’t immediately evident, which is a realistic but encouraging message for those who strive and hope to do the same. Camden will give us some insight into what racing is like at the NAIA level, advice he’d give a current athlete, and how to keep a mindset that focuses on continual improvement versus overnight success.

Thank you so much for listening to the podcast: words can’t express how thankful and blessed I am to have been able to do this for the last year. Please share an episode to help spread the word about Blue Water Running’s mission, which is to feature and celebrate the achievements of high school and collegiate cross country and track/field athletes from our area. You can follow Blue Water Running on Instagram, X, TikTok, Facebook, and YouTube, along with athlete and meet reports and photos on the website at bluewaterrunning.org.

Blue Water Running coverage is sponsored in part by Elite Feet of Port Huron. If you need running shoes, spikes, or apparel, their friendly and knowledgeable staff can 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.

Verlinde Insurance, located in Richmond, Michigan, is a new supporter of coverage on Blue Water Running. Training as an athlete teaches you resilience and preparation. Apply those lessons to your life with their insurance plans. Be ready for anything with them by your side…I have my home, auto, and umbrella insurance policies with Verlinde Insurance and can tell you from personal experience that their rates and customer service are second to none. You can visit Verlindeinsurance.com or email Noah@Verlindeinsurance.com for more information.

If you are interested in sponsoring coverage or partnering with Blue Water Running as an advertiser to reach and support local athletes, please reach out via our website or social media channels.

Send Blue Water Running a Message

https://www.bluewaterrunning.org/
https://bluewaterrunning.buzzsprout.com

• Instagram and X @bluewaterrun
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Hello and welcome to The Blue Water Running Podcast! I’m excited about sunshine and warm breezes…ok, probably snow, hail, freezing rain, gusting wind, etc., but I AM excited to get back out watching Blue Water Area athletes achieve amazing things.

It’s time for the 2025 BOYS Outdoor Track and Field Season Preview. Over the last few months, I’ve been looking at results from last year’s season to compile the predictions and probable performances for this year’s season. 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.

A couple of notes about the process:

• Consistency was king: when looking at so many performances across a months-long time frame, there had to be consistent participation and placement throughout the season to get a feel for the performance or improvement potential.
• I didn’t include incoming freshmen (last year’s 8th graders) as sometimes they end up participating in a different spring sport or they don’t come out for track in high school.
• I didn’t factor in the majority of PRs from any meets last year that were hand-timed for the preview, nor will I use them for top times and marks lists this season. When you see PRs for everyone across the board by huge margins, especially in sprint events, that’s a sign that the times are usually inaccurate. With the requirement of FAT timing for state meet qualification, it’s a more reliable standard.
• Early qualifying marks add a new dynamic to reporting on racing for this year: athletes can now meet a state-meet qualifying mark earlier than regionals, which will likely change the landscape of Michigan track and field. An EQ is defined by the MHSAA as “an athlete who achieves the mark in any round of a valid pre-qualified event which meets the proper standards (FAT TIMED and 6+ teams) is qualified to participate in the LP finals in that event”.
• Finally, I will miss someone who deserves a nod or mention: with such a large amount of data across a long period, it is inevitable. I cross-check and reference and scour athletic.net repeatedly, but Blue Water Running is just me, I work a full-time job during the day (which includes wrangling some kindergartners) and I do this for free, so sometimes, things get missed. I’m human. Also, my apologies if I mispronounce or misspell your name or incorrectly type a time or mark.

I can’t wait to get back out there and see all of you running, jumping, and throwing. You can find results and articles on bluewaterrunning.org and our social media sites throughout the season. You can follow Blue Water Running on Instagram, X, TikTok, Facebook, and YouTube. You can also check out photo albums of meets that will be linked through the website and download and share them to help spread the word about Blue Water Running’s mission, which is to feature and celebrate the achievements of high school and collegiate cross country and track/field athletes from our area.

Send Blue Water Running a Message

https://www.bluewaterrunning.org/
https://bluewaterrunning.buzzsprout.com

• Instagram and X @bluewaterrun
• Facebook/TikTok/Youtube @BlueWaterRunning