Baumann raises the bar twice in pole vault

Grace Baumann already was the best pole vaulter in Port Washington High School history.

Last Friday, she elevated her game twice.

Baumann broke her own school record of 9 feet, 9 inches by clearing 10 feet, then cleared 10-3, winning the event.

Baumann has qualified for state in the event the past two seasons, and now she has eclipsed the meet’s opening height of 10-0.

“She’s got it in her. You’ve just got to put it together in a meet,” coach Joe Adamak said.

Baumann has steadily improved the past few seasons.

“She’s worked really hard. She’s working on her sprinting,” Adamak said, adding Baumann could go higher.

“There’s even more.”

Port, the only Division 1 team of 14 at the Jerry Gosa Invite in Kewaskum, won the title with 128.5 points. Berlin was second with 108.5.

Peyton Keller, the defending Division 1 high jump champion, won the event by clearing 5-2.

Junior Ellie Knepfel won the 1,600-meter race in 5 minutes, 31.88 seconds and the 3,200 in 12:07.37. Her sister Marietta was third in the 1,600 in 5:37.72 and in the 3,200 in 12:14.55.

“That was a big difference maker, those two stepping it up. Lot of points there,” Adamak said.

The 400 relay of Peytan Kinzel, Keller, Eme Loose and Ada Mueller-Stenz won in 51.85 seconds. Loose, Keller, Natalie Northrup and Mueller-Stenz won the 800 relay in 1:49.65.

Mueller-Stenz won the long jump with a leap of 16-8.

“Ada had a really nice meet. She anchored two of the relays to big victories,” Adamak said.

The 1,600 relay of Amanda Crass, Loose, Kinzel and Northrup was second in 4:25.27. Northrup got shoved to the ground by a Berlin runner, but nothing was called.

“If we were in hockey, it would have been a great body check,” Adamak said. “We got up and we still took second.”

Northrup was third in the 300 hurdles in 49.93 seconds.

Port boys’ depth is the difference

Port Washington’s boys only won two events but cruised to win with 110.5 points. Winnebago Lutheran was next with 85.

The 1,600 relay of ThiLar Goodman, Joe Rico, Kiya Sullivan and Zeke Rico won in 3:30.5.

Goodman won the 300 hurdles in 41.79 seconds and was second in the 110 hurdles in 15.81 seconds.

The 800 relay of Joe Rico, Eli Novotny, Kade Kintop and Sullivan was second in 1:37.16.

“The time is not impressive until you know that Kade fell on the exchange to Kiya and Kiya had to stop and turn around to grab the baton,” coach Mark Pasten said.

The 3,200 relay of Beckett Schuster, Dylan Helmeid, Aidan Manz and John Dohrwardt was second in 8:48.03.

“Beckett did a nice job of leading off. Aidan was running the event for the second time and had an 11 second improvement,” Pasten said.

“Our depth was evident when it came to the relays.”

Zeke Rico was third in the 400 in 52.95 seconds. Jameson Koebel was third in the 3,200 in 9:59.62.

Da’vion Igess was third in the 300 hurdles in 42.75 and in the triple jump with a leap of 40-4. Sullivan was third in the long jump with a leap of 19-5.

Port competes at Kaukauna on Friday, May 1.

Distance runners lead the Rockets

Cedar Grove-Belgium’s boys scored 23 points and finished 12th at the Jerry Gosa Invite.

Weston Huenink was third in the 1,600 in 4:32.35 and fifth in the 800 in 2:05.05.

Brynlee Schmidt led the girls by taking second in the 1,600 in 5:36.77. She was fourth in the 3,200 in 12:16.41.

The girls scored 13 points and finished 12th.

The Rockets hosted a meet on Monday. They compete on Friday, May 8, at Sheboygan Falls.