March 21, 2018 at 1:05 p.m.
Team review: RHS boys' swimming
Hodag swimmers peaked at right time
Team review: RHS boys' swimming
Consider the following - both teams had to deal with a coaching change either during or right before the season and both teams were without their top swimmer from the season before. Yet, in both instances, the team's performance during this year's campaign bettered what it accomplished the season before.
That was especially true for the Hodag boys' swim team which, despite a small roster, had its most representation at the WIAA state meet since the 2006-07 season.
"It was an interesting year," co-coach Marna Winnicki said earlier this month at the team's banquet. "I hadn't coached the (high school) boys' before. That was a learning experience for me. Boys are very different to coach than girls. That being said, I had a ton of fun. I was really impressed with you guys. Everyone got along real well. I thought the camaraderie on the team was really special and I hope you guys continue to work hard and enjoyed yourselves and are ready for next year. I think you guys are going to do a great job next year."
Winnicki and Jenny Heck were named co-head coaches of the team shortly before the season began and guided the Hodags to a fourth-place finish in the Great Northern Conference.
Some other storylines form the season.
Strong core
While the Hodags had only 10 swimmers on their roster - two shy of a full dual meet lineup - six of those swimmers wound up at the WIAA state meet.
Juniors Russell Benoy and Martin Hoger; sophomores Devon Gaber, Thaddeus Heck and David King; and freshman Joseph Heck scored a lion's share of the points for the Hodags this year and provided a versatile core that served the team mainly in the sprint and specialty stroke events.
"We have a great, hard-working group of core guys," said Thaddeus Heck, who qualified for state in both the 100-yard breaststroke and as part of the Hodags' 200 medley relay. "I really couldn't ask for a better team myself. We just put in work and we knew that was what it was going to boil down to, who worked the hardest. That really got us to state."
Close calls
Despite a small roster, the Hodags went 3-6-1 in Great Northern Conference play this year, compared to 2-8-0 the season before. A touch of the wall here or there, and the Hodags could have just as easily have been 6-4 or 2-8.
The Hodags had a number of close finishes fall their way when they defeated Shawano 86-77 in a dual Dec. 12 at the Heck Family Community Pool, and had just enough events break correctly Dec. 21 when they tied Tomahawk - the eventual runner-up in the GNC - 80-80.
The same couldn't be said of the two times Rhinelander battled Antigo during the conference dual season. Key disqualifications and losses in close races led to defeats of 83-78 and 83-72 at the hands of the Robins. Shawano also won a slew of close races as it defeated Rhinelander in the rematch, 92-76, Jan. 18 in Shawano.
Being in close meets was a routine occurrence for the Hodags this season. Rhinelander tied for first place with Lakeland and Marshfield during its home relay invite Dec. 10.
Sectionals
Though Rhinelander turned in a number of all-conference performances Feb. 2 in the Great Northern Conference championship meet, it was hard to envision the success the Hodags enjoyed eight days later in a WIAA Division 2 sectional at Hudson.
The Hodags hit the taper in their training perfectly. Nineteen of their 20 entries bettered their seed times at sectionals - including 11 by more than two seconds. The end result was seven state qualifying entries in six different events for the team.
"You always hope it all comes together when it's supposed to, but you never know if it's going to - if everyone's going to be healthy, no injuries, no sickness, any of that," Jenny Heck said. "They worked so hard and they tapered well. I think they surpassed what we even thought we they would do."
Rhinelander finished third in the 11-team sectional, ahead of every Great Northern Conference school except sectional champion Lakeland.
State
The Hodags didn't have another major time drop in their pocket for the WIAA state meet, but still finished one spot higher in the final standings than they did the previous year.
Rhinelander finished one spot off the podium in the 200-yard freestyle relay, take seventh in the event.
Rhinelander also finished 12th in the 200 medley relay. Benoy took 10th in the 50 freestyle and 14th in the 100 freestyle. King was 14th in the 100 butterfly. Cousins Thaddeus and Joseph Heck finished 13th and 15th, respectively, in the 100 breaststroke.
"All the kids swam about as fast as they did at sectionals," Jenny Heck said. "It was an exciting and very loud meet. Our young team had a great experience and now know what they need to do to podium at state."
What's next
The good news for the Hodags is all six state qualifiers will return next season.
The bad news is, once again, a lack of depth will likely be an issue, especially during the regular season.
The Hodags will graduate a pair of seniors - Mathew Herman and Jack Kovac. Both were first-year swimmers but filled valuable spots for the Hodags in the distance freestyle events. That leaves the team with eight swimmers from this year's squad projected to return.
Jeremy Mayo may be reached at [email protected].
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