The Sports Report Podcast: Recent Episodes
The Sports Report
Join Calli for fun conversations with local athletes, coaches, and sports fans in the Blue Water Area.
In this week's episode, Calli talks with Croswell-Lexington junior Jett Weeder, the second baseman on the Pioneers baseball team.
After a slow start last spring, the Pioneers went on to win a district title. With all but three players returning to the lineup this year, Jett said he's noticed a lot of similarities between the two seasons and is excited for this weekend's district tournament. He'll share his thoughts on Cros-Lex's strengths and adjustments, as well as who he thinks will make the deepest postseason run.
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It’s finally regionals week in Michigan high school track and field, one of the most exciting weeks of the season, so join Calli as she talks with Matt Armelagos of MIXC Speed Ratings.
Matt works at Hanson's Running shop and is an avid fan of the sport, so much so that he’s created his own formula to rate and rank athletes and teams across the state.
Listen as he and Calli talk about some of the area's top athletes and the season's best performances and share which events they're most looking forward to.
You can follow Matt on Twitter and Instagram.
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You wouldn't know Emma Keeping is only a freshman.
She led the Imlay City volleyball team in one of the most exciting district semifinal matches of the season against North Branch, the eventual state champion, and she's currently leading the tennis team as the No. 1 singles player.
And apparently, she's done it all with her non-dominant hand.
In this week's episode Calli talks with Emma about how she got involved in both sports, what makes them similar and different, and why she gets so competitive when she's on either court.
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After graduating from Armada High School in 2015, Jake Hoover took his talents to Hillsdale College as an infielder on the Chargers baseball team. He finished with a .328 batting average that included 12 home runs and 64 RBI.
Then in 2019, he was drafted by the Texas Rangers in the 28th round of the MLB draft. Since then he's played across the country with various Minor and Independent League teams in pursuit of his Major League debut.
Join Calli as she talks to Jake about his pro baseball career and advice he has for athletes chasing dreams of their own.
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After watching his favorite quarterback swing a club, Port Huron High senior Nate Oriel decided he'd give golf a try – and that was only a few years ago. Now Nate is leading the Port Huron golf team and will be playing at the college level next fall.
Join Calli as she talks with Nate about playing in one of the best basketball seasons Port Huron has had in decades, becoming a golfer, and some of his favorite things about the sport.
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Janae Hudson had a fantastic sophomore track season as she set the Marysville High School record in discus with a throw of 135 feet, 7 inches. She also earned all-state honors in the event.
In shot put, she got within two feet of the school record with a throw of 38-11 to win a regional title, giving her plenty of motivation secure both school records this year as a junior. And just yesterday, she tied the school shot put record with a personal-best of 41-10, putting her on track for big things this spring.
Join Calli as she talks with Janae about her training, goals, and positive attitude.
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The Walker family has long been a part of Marine City athletics as Colby ('20), Mason ('21), and Wyatt ('22), all played key roles in the Mariners football and baseball programs. Now it's time for the fourth and final Walker to make her mark.
Allison is the youngest of the clan and is involved in Marine City volleyball, swimming, and softball. Last fall, as a freshman, she helped the varsity volleyball and swimming teams each to a MAC-Gold title in undefeated fashion. Now she's taking to the softball field this spring.
In this episode, Calli talks with Allison about her high school career so far and her brothers' influence.
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St. Clair senior Erin Seros is a three-sport athlete who's led the volleyball, basketball, and softball teams to several league and district titles throughout her career.
In this week's episode, Erin joins Calli to talk about her favorite sports, future plans, best memories, and why being a role model matters.
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Brothers Anthony and Dominic D'Ambrosio each hit the 100-win milestone in their varsity wrestling careers this winter, and they've also combined for more than 100 wins this season alone, winning individual league and district titles along the way.
In this week's episode, Calli talks with them about growing up in a family that loves wrestling and what it means to them to succeed together as the D'Ambrosio brothers.
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Athletes are always training physically, but what about their mental game?
In this week's episode, Calli sits down with KelseyGustafson, a mental performance coach with the Champion Mindset Group in Birmingham.
They'll talk about the top three things athletes struggle with mentally and what to do about it, as well as their own experiences as college athletes and what they wish they knew back then.
For more info about Champion Mindset Group or to connect with Kelsey, click the links below:
https://www.champmindset.com/
Instagram: @coachkelseympc
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Kendall and Clayton Roszczewski are both seniors at Almont High School leading their respective basketball teams this winter.
As twins who are just as fun to talk with as their last name is hard to pronounce (and yes, Calli did practice), enjoy this conversation as they talk about their careers, key takeaways and memories, and a rather competitive series of "Who's most likely to..." questions.
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The Richmond cheerleading and wrestling teams have combined for 14 state titles since 2000, not to mention dozens of conference, district, and regional titles along the way.
In this week's episode, Calli talks with two seniors with all-state honors from both teams – Nicole Ostaszewski and Noah Harris – about what it's like to be a part of legendary programs, how they stay motivated, and what it means to represent Richmond and the Blue Water Area.
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Matt Van Dyk grew up in Imlay City and eventually went on to play basketball at Michigan State University, where he also met his wife Rachel, who was on the volleyball team.
Shortly after graduating, the two got married and moved to Imlay City where they now coach. Rachel leads the volleyball program and Matt is an assistant coach on the boys varsity basketball team.
In this episode, they'll talk about what it was like to be an elite athlete, how it helps them in their careers and relationships today, and advice they have for young athletes.
You can also catch up on all the latest in local athletics with the Midweek Update.
Episode markers:
:15 - Wrestling
1:40 - Cheerleading
2:30 - Hockey
3:00 - Girls Basketball
4:30 - Boys Basketball
6:30 - Feature Conversation
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When Sky Langewicz started wrestling nearly a decade ago, seeing a female wrestle at the high school level was a rare sight. The Algonac sophomore didn't let that deter her, however, and now she's one of the top-ranked female wrestlers in the nation and is a defending MHSAA state champion.
This week, Calli talks with Sky about the growth of girls wrestling, what makes the Muskrats unique, how she handles pressure, and some of her future goals.
You can also catch up on all the latest in local athletics with the Midweek Update.
Episode markers:
:15 - Cheerleading
1:15 - Wrestling
2:15 - Hockey
3:00 - Bowling
3:35 - Boys Basketball
5:40 - Girls Basketball
7:00 - Feature Conversation
BWAC Standings link
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Trey Kolakovich, Zachary Kroetsch, and Andrew Sniesak have been playing basketball together since they were in fourth grade. They are now in the middle of their senior season.
As travel teammates and conference rivals, they enjoy playing with and against each other, and in this week's episode, they'll share some of their favorite memories, thoughts on boys basketball within the league, and what's setting their teams apart this winter.
You can also catch up on all the latest in local athletics with the Midweek Update.
Episode markers:
:15 - Hockey
1:15 - Cheerleading
2:15 - Bowling
3:20 - Wrestling
4:40 - Boys Basketball
6:00 - Girls Basketball
8:00 - Feature Conversation
BWAC Standings link
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Happy New Year from The Sports Report!
In our first episode of 2023, we'll be introducing a new segment called the Midweek Update – a quick rundown of all the local sports scores, standings, and highlights.
Then join Calli as she talks to Kara Miller and Avery Wolters, two leaders on the Marysville girls basketball team who also happen to play volleyball and softball. All three of these programs have seen major success in the last two years and Kara and Avery will talk about what it means to be a part of it.
Episode markers:
:30 - Boys Basketball
2:56 - Girls Basketball
4:08 - Wrestling
4:45 - Cheerleading
5:24 - Bowling
6:02 - Kara Miller and Avery Wolters
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This is the story of Jo Murphy, an inspiring 68-year-old Lexington woman who lost her daughter to vasculitis in February. She turned an emotional challenge into a physical one as she joined two friends, Mary Reinhard and Joe Ryan, in climbing Mt. Kilimanjaro this September. She also managed to raise more than $22,000 for the Vasculitis Foundation in the process.
In this episode, Calli sits down with the three mountain climbers to hear of their successful summit of the tallest peak in Africa at 19,341 feet. They'll share what it took, the memories they made, and stories of those they met along the way.
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The season is looking bright for the Port Huron Northern boys basketball team, and Tyler Jamison and his younger brother Alex are here to talk all about it on this week's episode.
They'll share what it's like to be a basketball player in the record-holding Jamison family, how they managed to turn fierce competition into chemistry, and why Husky fans should be excited about this winter.
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The MHSAA is on a mission to promote multi-sport participation and its recent survey results indicate a positive trend. Now it's up to coaches and athletes to keep it going.
In this week's episode, MHSAA Communications Director Geoff Kimmerly joins Calli to discuss why this is such an important topic for schools statewide, how this is impacting some of our local athletes, and which area school is leading the state in multi-sport participation.
Read more about the MHSAA Multi-Sport Participation survey results.
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Braden Turner and Noah LaValley are senior captains on the Marysville hockey team. They're returning to the rink as the defending MAC-White champions and are on a mission to extend their season even further this year.
In this episode, they'll talk about why they're excited for the season, their favorite things about McMorran, and why they love hockey. They'll also teach Calli everything she needs to know about covering the sport.
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Armada senior Camden Khon had big goals for his final cross country season, and chief among them was medaling at the State Finals.
He did just that and more this fall when he placed 15th at the MHSAA Lower Peninsula State Finals earlier this month. He also broke the 16-minute barrier with a personal best and school record when he became the BWAC MVP.
In this episode, Camden joins Calli to talk about what it took to achieve his goals, how he even started running in the first place, his favorite meet, and more.
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Kajsa Johansson is an NCAA Division II national champion, two-time All-American, five-time conference champion, and a Hillsdale College track & field record holder in four events.
She also happens to be one of Calli's good friends and former teammates, and on today's episode, they'll talk about how Kajsa achieved what she did and the lessons she learned as a college athlete.
Despite Kajsa’s impressive resume, she had to battle a lot of injuries and changes along the way. She’ll encourage athletes to never give up and remind them that balance is key to everything – both in and out of sports.
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No one likes being injured, especially an athlete in the middle of his or her season. To prevent injuries this winter, listen to this week's podcast episode as Calli talks with Tim Vincent about the most common injuries among athletes and his recommendations for preventing them in this limited time off.
Tim is a physical therapist from Prostaff Physical Therapy in Yale and he has a passion for helping people stay healthy and active to live their best lives. He'll offer practical advice and sport-specific examples to prepare athletes for upcoming winter sports.
To learn more about Prostaff Physical Therapy, visit: https://prostaffphysicaltherapy.com/
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Hadley Schwarz just finished her fourth and final varsity tennis season at St. Clair High School with an impressive run in the State Finals tournament.
She's the Saints' No. 3 singles player, and as if being a girl and playing some of the top boys tennis teams in the state wasn't hard enough, she was also adjusting to an entirely new position – but you'd never know it.
In this episode, join Calli as she talks with Hadley about her passion for tennis, how she handles pressure and responds to adversity, and what she likes to do for fun when she's not training.
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The Algonac community had a lot to celebrate last spring with a pair of firsts: a regional title in baseball and a state semifinal appearance in softball.
Playing big roles on both teams was then-sophomore Josh Kasner and then-junior Ella Stephenson, and they've each committed to further their careers at the University of Michigan.
In this week's episode, they'll share about their recruiting process and what led them to U of M, their favorite memories from last season, and debate which is better – baseball or softball.
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The Imlay City boys soccer team just wrapped up another undefeated season in BWAC play and as the fourth-ranked team in Division 3, the Spartans aren't ready to slow down.
Join Calli as she talks with two seniors, Luis Barragan and Sergio Galiana, who have been with the program all four years of their varsity careers. They’ll talk about what it means to be a Spartan and some of their favorite memories.
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Kobi and Kylee Stribling are seniors on the Cros-Lex volleyball team and have been playing together since they were in sixth grade.
In this week's podcast episode, they'll share what it was like growing up as twins and teammates, how they continue to cheer each other on, and the exciting season the Pioneers are having this fall. And at the end, they'll answer a few fun "Who's most likely to..." questions.
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As a 2013 graduate and now a teacher and coach, Ryan Leto is well known throughout the Marysville community. He was a three-sport athlete in high school and his senior year was on track to be his best one yet – until a torn ACL ended his basketball season early.
But as it would turn out, that injury wound up saving his life, giving him a fresh perspective on life and sports. He says not to "dwell on small potatoes," but instead, remember the big picture and focus on the things that are going right.
Listen to this week's Sports Report Podcast episode to hear Ryan's story, what high school sports mean to him, and what Marysville boys basketball fans have to look forward to this winter.
This week's episode of The Sports Report Podcast is a fun one. Calli is joined by her younger brothers, Curt and Jake Townsend. They both graduated from Croswell-Lexington High School (Curt in 2019, Jake in 2022) and are currently competing at the college level.
Growing up in an athletic household, the boys will talk about how their brotherly competition and their dad's influence propelled them to where they are today. They'll also give an update on how they're doing at their respective colleges as Jake just finished his first football training camp and Curt prepares for his final baseball season. At the end, they'll even debate who the fastest Townsend may be.
There are several local meets that have become iconic events in every cross country season. We had a recent poll on The Sports Report to see which meet is the favorite, and in this week's podcast episode, Calli's joined by two St. Clair seniors, Carter Boullard and Ava Pergitone, to dicuss the results.
They'll also share how they got involved in running, what some of their favorite memories are, and who they look up to as running role models.
Lainey Lichota is a school-record holding libero on the Port Huron High volleyball team and her senior year is shaping up to be the best one yet. The Big Reds are currently riding a 14-0 winning streak heading into league play.
On this episode of The Sports Report Podcast, Lainey talks about what exactly a libero does, – besides wear a different colored jersey – what volleyball means to her, and how she and her teammates are maintaining this exciting momentum.
Becoming a conference MVP in two sports is a rare feat, especially as a sophomore, and even more rare when the two sports are as different as golf and soccer.
But Jesse Kautz, a junior at Almont, managed to do just that last year. She finished the girls golf season undefeated in the league with a low of 39 strokes, and later in the spring, she managed 36 goals on the season to earn the league’s offensive MVP award in soccer.
In this episode, Jesse shares her favorite parts of each sport, her secret to success, and why we might hear her called “Bun” on the sidelines.
Jeff Heaslip and Zach Tetler are returning to the Marine City football team as seniors with big goals. After finishing last season as the division 5 state runner-up, this group is focusing on "unfinished business" this fall.
Listen now to learn all about the standards and culture of Marine City football, what training camp is like, and a preview of the season to come.
The North Branch volleyball program has a long history of success and this year's team is ready to etch its name into the record books as all but one of its players return from last year's state runner-up roster.
Join Calli as she talks with junior outside hitter Alana Deshetsky about what it's like to be a Bronco at volleyball practice, last year's State Finals tournament, and playing through injury and her journey to recovery.
Six weeks after trying long jump for the first time, Port Huron Northern's Maggie Monaghan placed fourth at the Division 1 State Finals this June to earn all-state honors.
A month later, she won the AAU Track and Field Region 12 title in her first-ever heptathlon, punching her ticket to the AAU Junior Olympic Games in Greensboro, North Carolina.
Against more than 60 other 17- and 18-year-old hepathletes, Maggie finished 12th in the nation – and it was only her second time every trying the event! While Maggie's career might not have a long history, there is still plenty more in store for her.
What does it take to become a cross country conference champion?
This week hear from Lukas Kriesch, a senior at Yale High School who is returning this fall as the reigning BWAC MVP in cross country. He'll share a glimpse of his summer trainning, his pre-meet routines, and how the Bulldogs are looking so far this year.
On this episode of The Sports Report Podcast, Calli talks with Luke Fletcher, a senior at Port Huron Northern who committed to play football Eastern Michigan University this spring.
They'll talk about taking campus tours around the country, eating raw eggs, the upcoming season, and Luke's best advice for young athletes looking to take their careers to the next level.
Devin Johnston will be a senior at Almont this fall, but her junior year deserves a quick recap.
Johnston's both a sprinter on the Raiders track team as well as a third baseman and catcher on the softball team. She earned all-state honors in both sports this spring and broke a few school records along the way.
In July, she and her travel team Turnin' 2 Pezz, competed in – and WON – the 16U USA Softball Junior Olympic Cup. The most interesting part, however, was that in the championship, Johnston played against not only a fellow Michigan team, but also a team within the same organization: Turnin' 2 Maloney, which also features a few Blue Water Area all-stars.