Large track and field teams rule North Shore relays

Port Washington and Grafton high schools are the two smallest in the North Shore Conference, which didn’t bode well for a high finish at the league’s relay meet on May 1 in Hartford.

The Port boys took sixth with 41 points. Slinger won the 10-team meet with 114. Grafton was eighth with 31.

The Pirates’ triple jump of Jake Lippe (38 feet, 11.25 inches), Will Handziak (38-6.25) and Will Stopczynski (36-9) took second place. It was a season best for all three, coach Mark Pasten said.

The 110-meter hurdles team of George Klassen (16.34 seconds), Stopczynski (17.81) and Handziak (18.78) took fourth.

“Being the second-smallest team in the conference makes it a challenge to compete in a relay meet were depth is the key to success,” Pasten said, adding that several athletes competed in multiple events.

For Grafton, the 6,400 relay team of Victor Geiser, Nathan Baker, Cael Abad and Zander Lichosik was fourth in 19:20.8. The distance medley relay team of Geiser, Jake Neperud, Sam Peters and Lichosik was fourth in 11:29.63.

Dylan Mursch had the longest discus throw with 139.

The Port girls took eighth place with 33 points. Slinger won with 101. Grafton was last with 27.

Port’s 3,200 relay team of Emma Goodma, Katie Erlandson, Jill Cavanaugh and Bethany Stacey wsas fourth in 10:55.39.

The 6,400 relay team of Cavanaugh, Erlandson, Mira Stimac and Stacey was fourth in 23:19.11.

The distance medley relay team of Stimac, Summer Normille, Goodman and Stacey was fourth in 13:39.81.

Coach Joe Adamak noted that Stacey was in all three events.

Noel Konitzer cleared 9 feet in pole vault, the highest total of all the girls.

“Our kids were all doing three or four events, so it kind of wears on you,” he said.

“A lot of kids were doing things they never tried before. They performed really well.”

For Grafton, the 6,400 relay team of Morgan Ruona, Maddy Wille, Elise Lueck and Julia Wille was third in 23:17.94.

The 800 relay team of Delaney Reindl, Kirsten Van Ryzin, Kate Senczyszyn and Ava Wilmanns was fifth in 1:52.96.

The distance medley relay team of Ruona, Grace Gasser and Maddy and Julia Wille was fifth in 13:48.52.

Grafton competed at a Wauwatosa East invite on Tuesday. Port and Grafton compete at Grafton on Friday and in the NSC meet on Tuesday in West Bend.