Warriors are third-fastest in state

The Ozaukee High School boys’ cross country team knew it had a chance to finish in the top three at the Division 3 state meet on Saturday.

“We also knew it was going to take everyone contributing and running well to do so,” coach Andrew Pfeuffer said.

Everyone did, and the Warriors left Wisconsin Rapids as the third-fastest team in the state.

Ozaukee scored 158 points and edged Poynette’s 164. Valders, ranked No. 1 and expected to easily cruise to the top, scored 78 points to win the 16-team meet, but Grantsburg came out of nowhere to make it close, scoring 85.

“I think we all held our own and that showed at the end of the day. We took third place in state, and we were seeded seventh,” Ozaukee junior Owen Klaus said.

That’s the second-highest finish in school history and the best since 1983.

Klaus led the Warriors by running the 5,000-meter course in 17 minutes, 5.2 seconds. He finished 11th (seventh among runners on full teams) of 149 runners, less than a second from a medal.

Sophomore Aaron Nehls was 33rd (14th) in 17:39.6. Senior Calvin McKee was 39th (16th) in 17:53.4. Senior Tyler Mueller was 73rd (36th) in 18:32.6, and junior Riley Borchardt was 123rd (85th) in 19:28.9.

Freshman Brice Schueller was 134th (96th) in 20:07, and freshman Otto Utecht was 140th (100th) in 20:46.9.

The plan was to be patient during the first mile and turn it on later in the hilly portions of the race to pass competitors and finish as high as possible.

“Second through eighth was so tight for the rankings that passing a few people mattered a ton,” Nehls said.

“Trying to find more people to hunt down was really the strategy. Just racing your heart out at the end of the day.”

Pfeuffer’s plan for Klaus was to run the first mile in 5:10.

“When I saw the clock at 5:05, I knew I was going to be a little drained,” he said.

Just five ticks off the pace makes that big of a difference.

But Klaus found some juice at the end, nearly beating Alex Peterson of Gillett, who finished in 17:04.5 — .8 seconds ahead of him.

“When started my kick, I didn’t realize I would be able to catch up to him until we were there at the finish line and I realized how close I was to getting 10th place,” he said.

Even .8th of a second, McKee said, covered about three steps and “looked like a sizable gap.”

Klaus was still pleased. He was projected to finish around 22nd.

“So for the fact that I was able to get 11th, I was really proud of myself,” he said.

Of the 13 teams the Warriors beat, one was Big East rival Sheboygan Lutheran, which finished sixth with 185 points. That, the boys said, was sweet.

McKee said, “Any Big East team at any meet ­— it’s always the goal to win.”

They just wished the weather was cooler. It was an unseasonable 55 degrees and sunny.

“When you get to that third mile and the sun is shining on you, it definitely slows you down a bit,” Nehls said.

“That’s the first time I sweat during cross country in two weeks,” Mueller said.

Pfeuffer was impressed with his top five, whose places count toward the team total.

“Owen really set the tone for the boys’ team with a great front-end finish like he has done all year. Aaron continued to step up like he has all season and placed in the top 35 overall as a sophomore,” he said.

“Calvin had a big race, beating many other teams’ No. 2 and No. 3 runners and bringing leadership. Tyler was one of the best No. 4 runners on the course and ended his four-year career with a great race. Riley stepped up in a big way and closed the door for us by passing 11 guys after the one mile mark to solidify our third-place finish.”

The boys said there was one more element that made the team go.

“We wouldn’t be here without our coaches,” McKee said. “They don’t accept our compliments ever. Our coaches are a big part of this team, and we would not be where we are today without them.”

Borchardt said, “They lead the team and they’re the ones who really give it character.”

Pfeuffer is assisted by Roger and Delaney Sinnen.

“They were a team that never settled, always did the little things right and competed for each other,” Pfeuffer said.

“This is a very rare team that does not come around often, and for them to accomplish everything they did this season is a testament to their character.”

Next season, Pfeuffer will be looking to replace McKee and Mueller.

“The leadership and performances Calvin and Tyler put in over the past few years have helped build a hard working tradition in our program, and it will be hard to let them go. However, they closed out their high school cross country careers with a great season,” he said.

“I’m looking forward to seeing our returning athletes continue to build our program next year and seeing how much they can improve.”

State finishers after Ozaukee were: Poynette, 164; Brookfield Academy, 176; Sheboygan Lutheran, 185; Pacelli, 196; Aquinas, 210; Spring Valley, 213; Boscobel, 222; Ladysmith, 241; McDonell Central Catholic, 279; Athens, 283; Kickapoo/La Farge, 297; Marathon, 334; and Auburndale, 339.