The Blue Water Running Podcast
The Blue Water Running Podcast features local high school/collegiate cross country and track and field athletes from the Blue Water Area of Michigan. We highlight and celebrate their accomplishments!
Episodes
69 episodes
Brett Lestage, Imlay City: Season 3, Episode 5
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 ...
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Aubree Deshetsky, North Branch High School: Season 3, Episode 4
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 p...
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Brandon Ziehmer, Anchor Bay High School: Season 3, Episode 3
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...
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2026 Boys Outdoor Track and Field Season Preview. Season 3, Episode 2
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, Mus...
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2026 Girls Outdoor Track and Field Season Preview. Season 3, Episode 1
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, Mu...
The Anniversary Special with Camden Khon, Season 3
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 ye...
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2025 Top Moments: Season 2, Ep. 30
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, a...
Abigail Vanderkooi: Season 2, Episode 29
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 encour...
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Thomas Westphal: Season 2, Episode 28
"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 tog...
Brynn Hurley: Season 2, Episode 27
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 a...
Xavier Roman: Season 2, Episode 26
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.&nb...
Max Durham: Season 2, Episode 25
"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, sta...
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Owen Beindit: Season 2, Episode 24
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 qua...
Brady VanConant: Season 2, Episode 23
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 t...
Logan Romain: Season 2, Episode 22
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 ...
Claire Albrecht: Season 2, Episode 21
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 ...
Madelyn Barkley: Season 2, Episode 20
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 te...
Samantha Langolf: Season 2, Episode 19
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...
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Reese Powers: Season 2, Episode 18
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 th...
Leo Bearss: Season 2, Episode 17
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. Le...
Luke Bowman: Season 2, Episode 16
"The mystery of human existence lies not in just staying alive, but in finding something to live for.“ ~ Fyoder DostoevskyOur guest is Luke Bowman, ...
Noah Verlinde: Season 2, Episode 15
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...
Kate Bennett: Season 2, Episode 14
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 th...
Eli Bickel: Season 2, Episode 13
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 pers...
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Colin Boullard: Season 2, Episode 12
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 earl...
