Many Blue Water Area teams opened their cross country campaigns on the grass this past week, with meets around the area beginning Thursday and continuing throughout the weekend. With the 2024 season kicking off, you can also find the Blue Water Area Top XC Performer’s List on the website homepage: the cutoff to make the list is under 19 minutes for boys and sub-23 for girls.
Thursday, 8/22/24
Mike Jackson Invitational @ Cros-Lex High School
Boys
1. Davison = 18
2. Yale = 54
3. Port Huron Northern = 91
4. EPBP Laker = 102
5. Marysville = 141
6. Croswell-Lexington = 150
7. Brown City = 182
Senior Kale Kovach was the first runner across the line (17:56) for a Blue Water Area athlete, finishing sixth behind the 1-2-3-5 punch of Davison. Ted Rutkofske was close behind in 18:01 (seventh place). Yale’s team spread was only 38 seconds between their top five, but they took second place to Davison, a Division I school. Carson Prone and Oliver Howie went 11-12 (18:08; 18:09) for Port Huron Northern and helped the Huskies take third place as a team. Wyatt Murtos was 13th for Yale and Grant Davis 14th for PHN, and with a fight to the line, both finished in 18:10. Brendan Coza was Marysville’s top runner (27th; 19:39) and Jack Kerrigan was 30th for Cros-Lex in 20:07. Port Huron High’s top finisher was Johnathon Heim in 47th place (22:14) and Kimball Landmark Academy’s was Nathan Kirby in 87th (34:25).
Girls
1. Davison = 74
2. Port Huron Northern = 75
3. Yale = 85
4.Croswell-Lexington = 99
5. EPBP Laker = 133
6. Marysville = 134
7. Caro = 134
8. Brown City = 165
Senior Eva Thompson showed why she’s the predicted top runner in the Blue Water Area on Thursday morning, outpacing the field on her home course by more than half a minute. Thompson won in 19:51, which is close to a full minute faster than her race at the same meet last year. Teammate Brynn Hurley was fourth (21:02) and similarly ran a minute faster than 2023.
Junior Samantha Langolf of Port Huron Northern led the Huskies to a runner-up team finish by one point, 75 to Davison’s 74. Yale’s Saige Cole proved all the freshman predictions right by leading the Bulldogs in her high school debut and finishing in eighth place (22:01). Yale finished third as a team with 85 points. Senior Lillian Rutallie of Marysville was ninth in 22:13 to round out area finishers in the top ten. Port Huron High’s top finisher was Abigail Alva in 56th place (29:27).
FULL RESULTS: https://www.athletic.net/CrossCountry/meet/237683/info
Photo Gallery: https://bluewaterrunning.zenfoliosite.com
Friday, 8/23/24
Mariner Invitational @ Columbus Park
Boys
1. Michigan Athletic Club for Homeschoolers = 44
2. Algonac = 57
3. Almont = 80
4. Richmond = 90
5. Austin Catholic = 126
6. Marine City = 147
7. Imlay City = 165
The Mariner Invitational offered local runners a chance to get a feel for the BWAC league and regional championship course. It also produced some very fast finishing times and early-season career PRs for many runners. Ian Potts of MACH came from behind early leader Julian Walker of Algonac in the last half mile of the race and ultimately won in 17:17, with Walker finishing second in 17:22 and teammate Owen Beindit right behind in 17:48. MACH then claimed fourth (Garrett Potts; 17:58) and seventh (Josh Snyder; 18:37) to edge out Algonac for the team win. Richmond freshman Mason Pietrykowski had a solid debut, taking fifth in 18:22. Finn Kneer of Merritt Academy was sixth in 18:29.3, Nico DiPonio was eighth for Austin Catholic in 18:41, Memphis’ Kai Fisher took ninth in 18:49, Andrew Rosso of Austin Catholic was 10th in 18:56, and Gavin Campbell was the top finisher for Almont in 11th (18:56). Ryan Jackins was 15th as the top runner for Marine City in 19:17.
Girls
1. Warren Regina = 38
2. Michigan Athletic Club for Homeschoolers = 63
3. Almont = 91
4. Imlay City = 110
5. Marine City = 124
6. Algonac = 125
7. Richmond = 135
MACH continued their winning streak into the girls' race, with Alannah Wessel of the Macomb Athletic Club for Homeschoolers making a dominant statement in her first high school 5K. Wessel gapped the field early and won in 19:08, approximately a minute and a half over the next competitor: she now leads all Blue Water Area girls at the top of the first week’s performance list. Her sister Faith was in fourth in 21:06. MACH took second overall as a team, scoring 63 points to winning team Warren Regina’s 38.
Algonac’s Kate Bennett showed massive improvement over last season: she had a personal best of 21:40 at the end of 2023 and finished third on Friday in 21 minutes flat, which puts her in the top five thus far on the top Blue Water Area performance list. The Muskrats are fielding a full-scoring team for the first time in a while. Richmond’s Pauline Chapman was sixth in 22:23. Freshman Cassidy Bowers opened her high school campaign for Austin Catholic with a 22:28, finishing seventh. Laila Evola of Almont was ninth (22:57) and Charlotte O’Brien tenth for Imlay City in 22:58. Marine City’s top finisher was Violet Massaglia in 16th (23:57).
FULL RESULTS: https://www.athletic.net/CrossCountry/meet/238750/info
Photo Gallery: https://bluewaterrunning.zenfoliosite.com
Mariners Invitational Medalists: photos courtesy of Ken Wessel.
Friday 8/23/24
Lamplighter Invite @ Livonia
With ten total races and varsity waves taking off after the sun sets, the Lamplighter Invite is a unique event in cross country, where athletes have the experience of running on the grass under the lights on a summer night. St. Clair and Macomb Lutheran North both participated this year, with MLN running in flight one and St. Clair in flight two.
Josh Macri (16:32) and Xavier Roman (17:18) ran personal bests to take second and eighth, which were high enough placements to earn the Mustangs a second-place team finish in the first varsity boys’ race. Macri sits atop the week’s Blue Water Area performance list. In the second varsity round, St. Clair’s top three runners were all within ten seconds of each other: Ethan Kreger (43rd; 17:37), Jerry Westrick (49th; 17:42), and Brayden Prieskorn (56th; 17:47) to help pace the Saints to 11th as a team.
Samantha Whitlam led Macomb Lutheran North’s team to a fifth-place finish, running 20:43 and placing fifth overall in the first girls’ varsity flight. Avery Stallmann (31st; 21:30), Evelyn Buckley (42nd; 22:15), and Isabella LaPerriere (47th; 22:19) ran a close pack behind Whitlam. St. Clair’s girls were in the second varsity flight to wrap up the night’s events at 11 p.m. Ella Thornton led the Saints in 47th place with a time of 20:59, Aubrey Sargent in 64th (21:25), Molly McNabb in 73rd (21:45), then the 4-5-6 punch in 83rd, 84th, and 85th of Allie Komarowski, Rachel McDonell, and Gabriella Komarowski (22:05.6, 22:05.8, and 22:06, respectively). Considering McDonnell is a freshman in the mix of that pack, St. Clair’s future is looking even better for this young team.
FULL RESULTS: https://www.athletic.net/CrossCountry/meet/229269/info
Friday, 8/23/24
The Oakdale Classic @ Lapeer
BOYS
1. Holly = 20
2. Lapeer = 52
3. Dryden = 70
4. North Branch = 93
Dryden and North Branch both competed at the Oakdale Classic on Friday, August 23. Dryden had two athletes place in the top 10 of the boys’ race: Logan Romain (7th; 18:43.79) and freshman Levi Fitchett debuted in 19:07. For the North Branch Broncos, Wyatt Opperman was 15th in 19:55.
Dryden’s Cara Prusakiewicz was third in 21:57, North Branch’s Rowan Conley was seventh in 23:20, and Dryden’s Claire Wright started her high school career on a high note by finishing in the top ten (ninth; 23:45).
GIRLS
1. Holly = 36
2. Lapeer = 38
3. Dryden = 83
4. North Branch = 104
5. Cass City = 115
FULL RESULTS: https://www.athletic.net/CrossCountry/meet/238194/info
Sat. 8/24/24
Michigan Catholic XC Invitational @ St. Francis Retreat Center, MI
Marine City Cardinal Mooney opened their season at the Michigan Catholic Cross Country Invitational on Saturday, August 24. Stella Behnan (15th; 22:10 PR) and Evan Jacobs (36th; 18:53 PR) were the top runners for each team.
FULL RESULTS: https://www.athletic.net/CrossCountry/meet/236070/info
You can also listen to The Blue Water Running Podcast for more Blue Water Area athlete and race news.
To view more photos from various meets in the area, check out https://bluewaterrunning.zenfoliosite.com/.
Thank you to Elite Feet of Port Huron for sponsoring cross country coverage on Blue Water Running.
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