Pirates’ quintet sets course for the big dance at La Crosse

Port Washington High School’s first track and field state champion is returning to La Crosse this week seeded No. 2 in her signature event.

Peyton Keller, who won the high jump last year, won the event by clearing a season-best 5 feet, 5 inches at Friday’s Division 1 sectional at Beaver Dam.

“The meet went amazing,” Keller said.

“It’s a lot more pressure to return and defend my title this year so I’m a little nervous but super excited.”

Keller, who will jump for Division 1 Weber State next year, enters state tied with another jumper at 5-5. Addison Pommerening of Arrowhead comes in as the top seed after clearing 5-7.

“She’s been there now. It’s not going to be anything new,” coach Joe Adamak said. “It will come down to a lot of things. There are a lot of competitive jumpers in the area.”

Keller was seventh last year at state in the triple jump and finished fourth with a leap of 35-7 at the sectional. The top three qualify, and Keller would have had to have broken Port’s record by two feet to make it, Adamak said.

School record-holder Grace Baumann is going back in the pole vault. She tied her own mark by clearing 10 feet, taking third.

The opening height at state is 10-6.

“She can do that. She’s done it,” Adamak said. “It’s going to take a great effort.”

Baumann will do pole vault at the University of Wisconsin-Platteville next year.

Ada Mueller-Stenz finished fourth in the long jump with a leap of 16-6.5 inches, missing out on advancing by about 18 inches.

“That would have won a lot of sectionals,” Adamak said.

Mueller-Stenz will jump for Division 1 Northern Kentucky next season.

Port’s 400 relay of Peytan Kinzel, Keller, Harlow Albiero and Mueller-Stenz broke its own school record, finishing in 50.22 seconds, good for fifth.

“They would have won half the sectionals,” Adamak said.

The 800 relay of Kinzel, Albiero, Natalie Northrup and Eme Loose was fifth in 1:47.48. The 1,600 relay of Loose, Amanda Crass, Northrup and Albiero was fifth in 4:07.95. Knepfel was seventh in the 1,600 in 5:31.76. The 3,200 relay of Marietta Knepfel, Ellie Knepfel, Crass and Melanie Bahr was eighth in 11:07.38.

“Overall, I hope that they’re very proud of their performances,” Adamak said. “They couldn’t have done any better. That’s all you could have asked.”

Pirate boys win twice

Port junior ThiLar Goodman is going to state after winning the 300 hurdles in 39.82 seconds.

Senior Da’vion Igess won the triple jump with a leap of 42 -1.

“He won by over a foot,” coach Mark Pasten said.

Freshman Jarek Roman qualified in the triple jump with a leap of 40-9.5.

Pasten said totals were lower since the sand pit was higher than the runway, an oddity in track and field.

“Being that he is only a freshman, that is a very impressive accomplishment,” Pasten said.

Goodman provided some drama in the 110 hurdles. He was in fifth place closing on fourth when he hit the ninth hurdle and fell.

“Fortunately, he is extremely athletic and was able to do a somersault and get up in time to clear the 10th and final hurdle allowing him to complete the race,” Pasten said.

He finished seventh in 17.04 seconds.

Port’s 800 relay of Joe and Zeke Rico, Kiya Sullivan and Kalin Mundt broke its own school record, finishing sixth in 1:29.9.

Distance running star Jameson Koebel was fighting a cold and finished fourth in the 3,200 in 9:46.43 and sixth in the 1,600 in 4:37.68.

“He struggled to stay in contact with the top three early on in the 1,600 and was really never in contention. In the 3,200 he did a better job of keeping in contact with the top three until the final 600 meters when they gradually pulled away from him,” Pasten said.

The 1,600 relay of Goodman, Joe Rico, Sullivan and Zeke Rico was fourth in a season-best 3:23.8.

“Their time was the second-fastest in school history and would have been good enough to advance to state in five of the eight Division 1 sectionals,” Pasten said.

Port’s other finishers were: Sullivan, fifth, long jump, 20-3.5; Igess, sixth, 300 hurdles, 41.33 seconds; and the 3,200 relay of Aidan Manz, Dylan Helmeid, Judah and Noah Leinss, 8:52.79.