September 20, 2017 at 8:11 p.m.
Byrka resigns as RHS girls' swim coach
Byrka resigns as RHS girls' swim coach
"The School District of Rhinelander is issuing this statement to confirm the resignation of Lindsay Byrka as swim coach at the District. In short, Ms. Byrka resigned after refusing to the salary set by the Board and to sign a contract that is required for all coaches in the District. As a general rule, the District does not negotiate these terms and salaries with coaches. In this instance, the District provided several alternatives and support for Ms. Bykra with respect to her salary and terms and several opportunities for Ms. Bykra to sign the contract, but she chose to resign instead.
The District cannot share any additional details or further information at this point because it is a personnel matter. The District denies any assertions that the decision was in any way related to other issues. We are disappointed by Ms. Bykra's decision, but we wish her well and appreciate all of the work that she has done for the students in the District.
We are now in the process of moving forward and securing a coach to continue to provide success for all swim teams at the high school. Any questions concerning this matter should be directed to the District Administrator, Kelli Jacobi."
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UPDATE: 9/20/2017, 9:11 PM - Bykra, in a text message to the River News, clarified that her resignation only pertains to the Rhinelander High School girls' swim team. She said she is uncertain of her status as boys' swim coach at this point.
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Lindsay Byrka is out as the head girls' swim coach at Rhinelander High School, effectively immediately, resigning after talks with the School District of Rhinelander regarding her contract reached an impasse Wednesday.
Byrka and RHS activities director Brian Paulson confirmed the news Wednesday evening.
In her third year at the helm of the girls' swim team, Byrka said she began the season without a contract and without a full-time assistant coach. She told the River News she needs to have a full-time assistant coach due to her history of health-related issues.
"I cannot work as much as possible and I cannot be responsible (for the team by myself) because of my health," she said, referring to complications related to a past cancer diagnosis. "We were not able to find the support that I needed to do the job correctly so we needed to part ways, effective immediately."
The school has been unable to find a full-time assistant coach for the team since Megan Cihla, the daughter of school district superintendent Kelli Jacobi, resigned in the offseason.
Brent Olson and Ingrid Bodensteiner are both paid, part-time assistants for the program. Paulson said Olson and James Williams Middle School girls' swim coach Marna Winnicki will be in charge of the team Thursday when it travels to Antigo for a Great Northern conference dual meet against the Red Robins.
Bykra did not attend practice Wednesday. The team was informed of the coaching change by Paulson and RHS principal David Ditzler.
Byrka, who won five individual and relay state championships as a Rhinelander High School swimmer in the early 1990s, came back to her alma mater as an assistant to then-head coach Amber Laggis in 2014. That winter, with Laggis on maternity leave following the birth of her son, Byrka took over coaching the Hodag boys' swim team.
Byrka eventually assumed the head coaching role of both teams after Laggis resigned in May 2015.
Rhinelander's swim programs have seen a noticeable uptick in success since Byrka took over. In 2015, both the boys' and girls' swim teams sent individuals to state for the first time since 2009 and 2007, respectively. In 2016, Byrka guided an 11-swimmer boys' swim team to an upset Great Northern Conference championship over Lakeland. Later that year, Kiah Francis won the WIAA Division 2 state championship in the 200-yard individual medley and the 100 breaststroke. She was Rhinelander's first girls' swim state champion in an individual event since Byrka in 1993.
The Hodag girls' swim team is currently 3-0 in Great Northern Conference duals. Just last Thursday the team defeated perennial conference power Ladysmith/Bruce/Flambeau in a dual meet for the first time since joining the GNC in 2010. The Hodags followed that up with a first-place finish in the 10-team Chippewa Falls Sprints on Saturday, which turned out to be Byrka's last meet as head coach.
"From the day she started as an assistant, she's had a huge impact on the team," Paulson said. "She worked extremely hard for the kids all year around, when she was able to meet with them. She was just a dynamic coach."
"I thank her for everything she's done from top to bottom. She truly did it for the kids."
Paulson referred further questions regarding the contract impasse to Jacobi, who could not immediately be reached for comment Wednesday evening.
The River News will monitor this story as further details become available.
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