Pirates’ runners find strength in numbers this season

Port Washington High School has the most boy cross country runners since the pandemic — 23.

But the Pirates lost their school-record holder in Jameson Koebel, along with top-five runner John Dohrwardt, to graduation.

Port returns Connor Zinuticz, Dylan Helmeid and Noah Leinss from last year’s top five.

“We also added a very talented freshman to that mix in Andrew Karrels,” coach Mark Pasten said.

He said Keagan Normile has improved much from last season as well.

Pasten said he expects the team to be in the Division 2 state-qualifying bunch vying for a top-two spot, including Grafton, Cedar Grove-Belgium, Kewaskum and Plymouth. Campbellsport looks to be the top team in the sectional, he said.

Last Thursday in high humidity and temperatures in the low 80s, Port finished third with 85 points in the 13-team Kiel Invite. Campbellsport won with 33 points and Washington County Homeschoolers were second with 55.

Beckett Shuster finished the 5,000-meter course in eighth place in 17 minutes, 47.4 seconds.

“Beckett Shuster had a nice race. He was competing with the third and fourth runners from Campbellsport for much of the race, but they pulled away from him in the last 400 meters,” Pasten said.

Zinuticz was 13th in 18:28.9. Then came Normile, 22nd, 19:24.9; Leinss, 27th, 19:41.9; Helmeid, 36th, 20:02; and Judah Leinss, 37th, 20:02.1.

Leinss equaled his time from the season’s first meet and “has been looking stronger with each week of practice,” Pasten said. “Keagan continues to play a large role in our team score. He has a very positive attitude about competing and is very supportive of his teammates.”

Karrels missed the meet due to a junior varsity football game.

In the season-opening Milwaukee River Invite, Port scored 345 points and finished 13th of 23 teams. Wisconsin Lutheran won with 77.

Karrels was 21st of 68 runners, finishing in 17:15.2. Shuster was 57th in 18:00.4. Then came Zinuticz, 69th, 18:22; Normile, 98th, 18:56.9; Judah Leinss, 125th, 19:33.6; Helmeid, 130th, 19:37.5; and Noah Leinss, 137th, 19:41.2.

“Andrew Karrels had an outstanding first high school cross country race,” Pasten said.

Normile ran 7:30 faster than he did as a junior varsity runner last season.

Port competes in the Druckrey Invite at South Milwaukee on Saturday, Sept. 12.