Port runners welcome new No. 1s

The Port Washington High School girls’ cross country team was primed for another run to state with all its runners back from last year’s squad that took seventh.

But a few weeks ago, top runner Bethany Stacey moved out of state after her father accepted a new job.

That leaves the Pirates without their star — Stacey finished 12th in the Division 2 state race last year.

“We’re down one, and it’s kind of a big one,” coach Joe Adamak said.

The team, however, has six runners with state experience.

Sophomore Braeya Thomas is back after taking 34th at state last year, along with senior Mira Stimac (37th), sophomore Emma Kasza-James (86th), sophomore Abbey Lotz (116th), senior Emma Goodman (119th) and junior Clare Woods (144th).

Adama said girls started training for the season around June. Many also run track but they missed that season when schools closed due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

“It’s been a lot of offseason training,” he said. “They’re in better condition. They’re definitely stronger runners. We don’t know about speed yet.”

The postseason is in question anyway, thanks to the pandemic. No decision has been made about a state meet, but several schools took the WIAA option to shift their fall seasons to spring.

“Everything is unknown now. We’re taking it day by day,” Adamak said.

Traditional huge invitational meets won’t be held this season to limit the spread of germs. Instead, small groups of teams will run in shifts for large meets or in staggered start times with limits on how many runners a team may enter.

Tendick Park in Saukville will host several meets normally scheduled for other places due to parks being closed and restrictions on the number of people at gatherings.

The Pirates have 12 members on the team. Adamak said he often used the track season to recruit new runners but missed out on that this year.

“We’re a smaller team so we can get our training in. The training is the same,” Adamak said.

“We’re hoping to get as much of the season in as we can.”

Juniors to lead Pirate boys

The Port boys’ team lost its top runner from last season, Ben Pasten, to graduation.

He was the only state qualifier and finished 30th.

But the next four runners, all juniors, are back. They include Gabe Pasten, Mason Raasch, Austin Rinke and Nate Meeks.

“We’ve got four really strong runners in that group of juniors. All four had a really strong summer of training,” coach Mark Pasten said.

Meeks, he said, made a big jump last year and improved again over summer. Raasch is coming off of his first summer of training. Rinke used last year to get in shape and will contribute right away, Pasten said. Gabe Pasten balanced soccer and cross country but this year committed to just running.

That leaves the Pirates looking for the other contributor. Five runners’ places count in the team total.

“That ever-important fifth runner has been our nemesis the last few years,” coach Pasten said.

Candidates include Gino Feciskonin, a sophomore in his second year of cross country who Pasten said has found a passion for the sport and trained well over summer but recently sustained an injury. Junior Jake Meier had a consistent summer and may step into the role right away, Pasten said.

Senior Angelo Feciskonin fell off a little at the end of summer, Pasten said, and sophomore Cooper Devenport shows promise in his second year of cross country.

Pasten was worried that runners would fall off the radar when school went online but, he said, “they kind of embraced the fact that they could get outside and run with each other.”

Pasten suggested a summer training plan and had practices to select this year’s captains. Meeks and Raasch earned the job.

The team’s schedule is a work in progress due to the pandemic. Pastens said he is optimistic some kind of postseason can be held.

“We’re figuring it out as we’re going,” he said.

The Pirates’ first meet is Saturday at Tendick Park. The boys run at noon and the girls run at 1:30 p.m. Grafton will also run. Organizers are trying to mandate wearing masks, Pasten said, and spectators are encouraged to spread out along the course to maintain social distancing.