November 3, 2017 at 4:53 p.m.
State berths at stake
Hodag swimmers in hunt in multiple events entering WIAA sectionals
State berths at stake
The Hodags enter today's WIAA Division 2 sectional in Stevens Point looking to extend their season one more week and, based on the numbers, they have a shot in a number of events.
It would be a remarkable way to cap off a strong season for the Hodags, who finished second at the GNC meet last Friday. It was the first time since 2007 - when the Hodags were runners-up in the Wisconsin Valley - that the team posted a finish of second or better in conference competition.
It would be equally remarkable given the curveball the team was thrown midway through the season when the school and head coach Lindsay Byrka parted ways due to a contract disagreement.
"It's been challenging, but I think we'd also say really fun," co-coach Jenny Heck said. "The girls have really done fantastic. They've really stepped up when we needed them to step up and they never skipped a beat through all the changes."
Heck's co-coach, Marna Winnicki, said the athletes on the team have embraced the concept that they are the ones who control their own destiny.
"It's not who's coaching. It's not who's running things. It's the kids, and they've really shown that they set their goals at the beginning of the season. There was a little hiccup in the middle, but they really wanted to go after those goals and they've really done well."
Following an eight-year lull, the Hodags are looking to send representatives to state for a third straight season. Kiah Francis, last year's state champ in the 200-yard individual medley and the 100 breaststroke, was one common thread in the seven state berths over the past two seasons. She's graduated, but the Hodags have increased depth this year and enter today's meet with the potential to qualify in perhaps six or seven events, if everything falls into place.
"They're going to have to swim best times to make it to state," Heck said. "In every event that we're close, the kids will have to swim their best to do so. I think they can do it ... We could have a large group go. We could have just one go, but we hope that they do what they need to do."
On Wednesday morning the WIAA released the pysch sheets for all four of today's Division 2 sectionals, detailing who is swimming which events and listing their fastest times. The four sectional champions and the next 12 fastest times statewide in each event qualify for next Friday's Division 2 state meet in Madison.
Based on the pysch sheets, the Hodags are in good shape in two events, right on the bubble in two others, and just off the mark in three more.
The best bets to get to Madison appear to be freshman Makenna Winnicki in the 500-yard freestyle and the Hodags' 200 medley relay team.
Winnicki is seeded second in the Stevens Point sectional, and 10th overall, in the state based on her season-best time of 5 minutes, 30.75 seconds. That's about 7.5 seconds faster than the current 16th-best time, and about four seconds ahead of last year's qualifying time in the event.
"I think she's going to do really well," Heck said. "She's finally going to be able to rest up a little bit this week and I think she's ready to get some good times this weekend."
It's a similar story for the Hodags in the medley relay, where they are seeded 13th (1:57.44) with a time faster than last year's state-qualifying mark (1:57.50).
The team is firmly on the bubble in a pair of sprint events. Rhinelander's currently 14th in the 200 freestyle relay (1:45.91), but only 0.01 seconds ahead of the projected cutline. What's more, the team may need to be in the top 15 statewide to make it to Madison, with the winner of the Ashwaubenon sectional projected to post a time slower than the 12 wild card qualifiers.
Menomonie (16th, 1:46.01) and Lakeland (18th, 1:46.35) are two teams just on the other side of the bubble that will be chasing the Hodags in the Stevens Point sectional.
Junior Grace Heck is barely on the wrong side of the bubble in the 50 freestyle. Her seed time of 26.04 is 17th fastest n the state, 0.01 second out of the top 16. Lakeland's Anntaya Corbesia is 15th, only 0.03 faster than Heck. Overall there are eight swimmers with seed times between 25.90 and 26.16 seconds jockeying for the final state qualifying positions. Four of them will be in the final heat of the Stevens Point sectional.
"She's been practicing well this week and I think she's going to taper really well and that's going to be a big thing for her on Saturday," Marna Winnicki said, referencing Grace Heck. "Plus she's mentally tough and she's going to be able to tough out those last couple of yards in her races when it counts."
Freshman Marissa Martin is one of several darkhorse candidates to get to state for Rhinelander. She's currently seeded 19th in the 100 breaststroke, thanks to the time of 1:14.17 she put up in a runner-up performance in the event last Friday at the GNC meet. Martin sits only 0.8 seconds off the cutline and dropped four seconds from her time in the event during the month of October.
"She's been to state as a club swimmer and I just think last week was what she needed to realize that she's here and she belongs here," Marna Winnicki said. "I definitely think she has more time to drop."
Makenna Winnicki is seeded 21st in the 200 freestyle (2:04.92), roughly three seconds behind 16th. The Hodags need to make up about the same amount of time in the 400 freestyle relay, where they are seeded 22nd (3:58.36). Freshman Lisa Kennedy is seeded 27th in the backstroke (1:04.77) roughly two seconds outside the top 16.
Regardless of whether swimmers are competing for state berths or personal bests, trying to set the stage for next year or swimming competitively for the final time, Heck said the goal is for all of her swimmers to give it their all this afternoon in the UWSP pool.
"This is going to be the last meet for some of the swimmers and we're really going for best times. They're going to be shaved and tapered and, hopefully, they can improve their place and time," Heck said. "They've done all the hard work and now they just have to swim fast and be ready to be tough mentally."
NOTE: The Great Northern Conference on Tuesday evening adjusted the official scoring of last Friday's conference meet in Stevens Point. The adjustments had no bearing on the final conference standings.
The designated host school for the meet, Ladysmith/Bruce/Flambeau, incorrectly scored the meet - scoring the top 16 finishers and limiting teams to only three scoring entries in individual events.
The Great Northern Conference constitution states that the top 12 finishers are scored and a team may score an unlimited number of swimmers in individual events.
Tomahawk officially won the meet with 347.5 points, followed by Rhinelander at 263 and Lakeland at 242. The margin between Rhinelander and Lakeland was only nine points under the incorrect scoring.
Ladysmith/Bruce/Flambeau (200.5), Medford (149), Antigo (63) and Colby/Abbotsford (37) rounded out the standings.
Jeremy Mayo may be reached at [email protected].
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