5 Super Athletes With Ties To Port Washington-Saukville

Sports have a way of teaching invaluable life lessons — building character, fostering teamwork and strengthening the bonds within a community. In the Port Washington-Saukville area, these values have shaped some truly remarkable athletes from different eras, whose accomplishments continue to inspire.

Patch has teamed up with T-Mobile to spotlight five standout athletes whose achievements have left a lasting mark on our community. While this list is just a snapshot, there are countless others who have helped shape the rich sports culture in our area.

1. Kaitlyn Verfuerth (Paracanoe Athlete)

Born in Port Washington, Kaitlyn Verfuerth is a four-time Paralympian who has excelled in paracanoe and wheelchair tennis. After launching her tennis career — reaching multiple Paralympic Games and earning medals at major tournaments — Verfuerth switched focus to kayaking and canoeing, ultimately competing at Tokyo 2020 in the KL2 and VL2 events. Beyond athletics, she runs a yogurt shop, coaches high school tennis and leads a nonprofit called Over the Rainbow to support children with disabilities.

2. Bethany Huston (Basketball)

A Port Washington High School standout, Beth Huston remains the girl's basketball program’s all-time leading scorer with 1,555 points. The multi-sport athlete earned multiple first-team conference honors and became the school’s first female basketball player to secure a four-year Division I scholarship, competing at Illinois State. Also excelling in volleyball and softball, Huston lettered 11 times across three sports.

3. Beany Jacobson (Baseball)

Originally born in Timra, Sweden, Albin “Beany” Jacobson was raised in Port Washington, where he developed the left-handed pitching skills that propelled him to the major leagues. Debuting in 1904 with the struggling Washington Senators, Jacobson’s rookie season included a 5-23 record — though his ERA was notably better than the team average. He also pitched for the St. Louis Browns and Boston Americans.

4. Mike Seifert (Football)

Port Washington native Mike Seifert played defensive end in the NFL for the Cleveland Browns during the 1974 season. Drafted in the 13th round after a collegiate career at the University of Wisconsin–Madison, the 6’3”, 245-pound Seifert appeared in a dozen games, registering three sacks as a rookie.

5. John DeMerit (Baseball)

John Stephen DeMerit, raised in Port Washington, reached the majors as a bonus signing with his hometown Milwaukee Braves in 1957. Playing in the outfield, “Thumper” got his first taste of the big leagues at just 21, appearing on the Braves’ World Series-winning roster that season. He later joined the expansion New York Mets in 1962 before retiring from pro baseball.

This content is brought to our community in partnership with T-Mobile.