February 9, 2018 at 1:35 p.m.
Hodag swimmers in position for multiple state berths
Hodag swimmers in position for multiple state berths
The Hodags are all-in on a number of events in today's Division 2 sectional in Hudson and know they have a great chance to send multiple individuals and relays to next Friday's state meet at the UW Natatorium.
"We really want to get to state - and we want to get to state both individually and in relays," Hodag co-coach Jenny Heck said Wednesday at practice. "That will constitute a good day (at sectionals)."
The numbers back up Heck's assertion because, should the Hodags swim their best, they have a legitimate shot at qualifying for state in four individual events and a pair of relays.
The champions in each event at the four Division 2 sectionals being conducted throughout the state on today will qualify for the state meet automatically. From there, the next 12 fastest times from throughout the four sectionals will fill the field of 16 qualifiers in each event.
Technically, Rhinelander is not the top seed in its sectional in any event but has seven entries inside the top 16 overall.
"It all really comes down to what we've worked on all season as far as all the little things," co-coach Marna Winnicki said. "That's what's going to make the race for them. They're tapered. They're fast coming in and they should be faster on Saturday."
On paper, cousins Joseph and Thaddeus Heck are the second and third seeds in the sectional in the 100-yard breaststroke, but it appears they will each move up one spot in the rankings as multiple sources have confirmed to the River News that Lakeland's Tyler Teichmiller, the Great Northern Conference champion in the breaststroke, will miss today's meet due to a knee injury sustained during the week.
Even before Teichmiller's injury, the Heck cousins were in good position to qualify for state. Joseph Heck was seeded ninth with the 1 minute, 5.19-second time he put up last Friday at the GNCs. Thaddeus Heck was 11th (1:05.25). Last year's qualifying time in the event was 1:05.88.
"It opens a door for them, but they still have to swim their best," Winnicki said. "Everybody's going to be out going for first so they can't just sit back and think it's theirs automatically."
Some of Rhinelander's best seeds entering Saturday are in the relays.
The team comes in with the seventh-fastest time in the state in the 200 freestyle relay (1:34.29) and the ninth-best time in the 200 medley relay (1:47.13). Rhinelander's seed time in the 200 free relay is faster than last year's state cutline (1:35.01), while their time in the 200 medley relay is 0.61 seconds slower than last year's qualifying standard (1:46.52).
"I think the relays are in great position but, once again, they need to swim faster than they did last week," Jenny Heck said. "They need to be safe, make sure their starts are safe. We can't have any stupid mistakes. We have to be smart and faster than we were last week."
Junior Russell Benoy enters in position to qualify for state in both of the sprint freestyle events. He's tied for the 10th-fastest time in the 50 (22.80) and has the 13th-best time in the 100 (51.26). Sophomore David King is seeded right on the cutline, 16th overall, in the 100 butterfly (58.00).
"We're on the bubble in a lot of events. Best times are needed," Jenny Heck said. "They're going to have to swim their best to make it to state individually, but I think they can do it."
One X-factor going into Saturday's meet will be the venue.
It will be the first time since 2004 - when Rhinelander competed in Division 1 - that the Hodags have not swam sectionals at UW-Stevens Point, which will host a D1 sectional today.
The trip to Hudson is significantly longer and is the unknown commodity entering today's meet.
"I think we're going to be just fine," Heck said, noting that the team was set to depart for Hudson at 6:30 this morning. "We're going to leave in enough time to get there and stretch out. We have a nice bus to take us there. It's good their getting up early to get ready. They'll be ready to swim fast by 1 o'clock."
Jeremy Mayo may be reached at [email protected].
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