Port runners moving right along

School-record-holder Ellie Knepfel continues to lead the Port Washington High School girls’ cross country team, and the pack behind her is developing well, coach Joe Adamak said.

The Pirates on Saturday scored 200 points and finished eighth of 12 teams, 10 of which compete in Division 1, at the Duckrey Invitational in South Milwaukee.

Brookfield Central scored 64 points, beating Oshkosh West’s 65.

Knepfel ran the 5,000-meter course in 20 minutes, 26 seconds, finishing ninth of 81 runners. The senior won’t likely threaten her own school record of 18:53.4 for another month, Adamak said.

Freshman Hannah Dahmen was 46th in 23:36.7. Junior Charlotte O’Brien was 48th in 23:47.9. Sophomore Ashley Mundt was 49th in 23:48 and sophomore Natalie Brickner was 61st in 24:34.1. Freshman Kendall Harmelink was 75th in 25:38.2.

“I thought they did OK for where they are right now in the season,” Adamak said. “They were competitive where they were running, and that’s good. They’re moving up.”

Port was missing some of its runners due to family commitments, Adamak said.

Port boys take sixth

The Pirate boys scored 183 points and finished sixth in the 15-team meet.

Menomonee Falls ran away with it, scoring 57 points. Kenosha Tremper was second with 117.

Andrew Karrels was the meet’s fastest freshman and led Port, finishing 13th in 17:13.8. Sophomore Beckett Shuster took 31st in a season-best 18:06.4.

“Beckett got out a little too aggressively and that cost him about 10 places in the last half-mile of the race,” coach Mark Pasten said.

Senior Connor Zinuticz was 32nd in a season-best 18:10.6. Sophomore Keagan Normile was 52nd in a personal-best 18:54.3. Senior Noah Leinss finishd 57th in 19:11.9, and sophomore Dylan Helmeid was 70th in 19:46.9.

Port runs in the Angel Invitational at the University of Wisconsin-Parkside on Saturday, Sept. 19.