Warriors’ middle school track coach takes over varsity team

After 11 seasons at the helm, Andrew Pfeuffer decided to take a step back and just coach distance runners for the Ozaukee High School track and field team this season.

The Warriors filled the spot by promoting from within.

Chris Utecht, the middle school track and field coach for the last eight years, is the team’s new head coach and is already familiar with the athletes.

“What a top-notch coach. We’ve got some big shoes to fill,” Utecht said of Pfeuffer.

Utecht lives in Saukville and is chairman of the Criminal Justice Department at Lake County College in Grayslake, Ill.

He grew up in Saukville and is a 1995 Port Washington High School graduate. He specialized in throws for the Pirates.

“Track is really fun to coach because it’s kind of objective. There’s no question about who’s best. I think that makes it attractive to the kids as well,” he said.

“No matter who you are, where you’re from, what background you have — are you faster than this other person? Can you throw farther? Can you jump higher or farther?”

The sport also provides healthy activities that can be done for a lifetime, he said.

Utecht’s experience at the middle school has led him to one conclusion.

“We’ve got a really great program. We have for a long time, down into the middle school. The middle school and high school work hand in hand to help these students and athletes become the best they can be,” he said.

Once the outdoor season starts, that means being the best in any kind of weather. Utecht will come prepared to the Warriors’ meet at Cedar Grove-Belgium on Thursday, April 9.

“I’m wearing my ice-fishing clothes,” he said.

This season, the Warriors have 14 girls and 13 boys on the squads.

For the boys, junior Nicholas Schubert and freshman Wyatt Borchardt bring state cross country experience. Schubert was 20th at the Division 3 state cross country meet  and Borchardt was 82nd.

Utecht said both have a chance to qualify for state in the 3,200.

In the throws, junior Jack Lentz was seventh in discus and the shot put at the sectional final last season.

The team lost state qualifiers Peyton Mueller (long jump) and Brice Schueller (800) to graduation.

For the girls, the Warriors lost four-time state medalist shot putter Paige Kurlinski, who also qualified in discus, to graduation, along with state qualifying discus thrower Kaylee Steadman.

Top cross country runner Madison Glaeser, who was 21st at the Division 3 sectional last season, is among the team leaders. She was third in the 3,200  and sixth in the 1,600 at the sectional last year.

Maggie Hoffmann, who excels in the 800, is the team’s only senior.

Last Thursday, the boys scored 34 points and finished seventh at the Earl Herbert Invite at Manitowoc Lincoln. 

Schubert won the 3,200 in 10 minutes, 47.17 seconds. Lentz was second in the shot put with a throw of 47 feet, 7 inches. The 3,200 relay of Fritz Hoffmann, Borchardt, Ayden Hartmann and Schubert was third in 9:15.84. Hoffmann was fifth in long jump with a leap of 18-2. Borchardt was sixth in the 1,600 in 5:13.55.

Last Friday, the girls scored 12 points and were 15th at the Pam Kjono Invite at Manitowoc Lincoln.

Eva VanMinsel was fourth in the 3,200 in 14:47.19. Helen Utecht was fourth in the shot put with a throw of 32-2. Glaeser was seventh in the 1,600 in 5:56.78.