September 23, 2019 at 11:25 a.m.
Francis sets backstroke mark, Hodags take third at Chi-Hi Invite
Francis sets backstroke mark, Hodags take third at Chi-Hi Invite
Rhinelander won five of the 11 events, highlighted by a new school record by Malia Francis in the 100-yard backstroke, and placed third in the nine-team Chippewa Falls Invite.
The host Cardinals won the meet with 372 1/2 points. Rhinelander finished with 305 points, one point behind Rice Lake for the runner-up spot.
"We're happy with our finishes," coach Jenny Heck said. "We had a lot of top finishes and a lot of really great swims. Third place overall, we wish it was second place. It's hard to get third by one point, but that could have been (made up) anywhere. We told the kids that too. It comes down to everyone could have a little bit better here or there and that would have made the point."
Francis, a sophomore, had a big meet, winning all four events she entered. Swimming her specialty, the 100 backstroke, for the first time this season, Francis easily chopped down the school record in the event with time of 57.84 seconds. That was 1.62 seconds faster than the previous record set by her older sister, Kiah, in 2016.
Francis nearly took down another one of her sister's school records in the 100 butterfly as she won that event in a time of 58.56 seconds, only 0.14 slower than Kiah's RHS mark set in October 2015. Both times were Chippewa Falls High School pool records for Francis.
"That was pretty cool. It was great to see her do that and get some fast times," Heck said.
Francis led a dominating performance for the Hodags, who took three of the top four positions in the backstroke. Makenna Winnicki was second in the event and Lisa Kennedy finished fourth.
"When you go 1-2-4 in an event like that in a meet like this with nine teams, it's pretty impressive that we could do that," Heck said. "I was pleased with the girls and the results in that event. We could have mixed it up and put kids elsewhere, but sometimes it's nice not to worry about the dual meet points and go after what want times in, and that's what we did."
Francis, Winnicki and Kennedy teamed with sophomore Noelle St. Pierre to win both the 200 medley and 200 freestyle relays. Their time of 1:54.08 in the medley matched their best time of the season. The group went 1:43.90 in the freestyle relay with sub 26-second splits in three of the four legs.
"I think that was a really good time for them, to be able to do that a couple of times now, and win by about three seconds, was great in a meet like this," Heck said. "The 200 free (relay), of all the relays, that was pretty exciting to watch. I was pleased with their splits. That was great to see them come out with some really fast sprints. That was exciting."
Winnicki added a win for the Hodags in the 200 IM in a time of 2:17.67, which was roughly three seconds faster than her winning time in the event two days earlier in a dual meet at Medford. St. Pierre was second for the Hodags in the 200 freestyle (2:08.68) and the 100 breaststroke (1:12.84).
Rhinelander got three more top eight finishes on the day. Maria Heck was fourth in the 200 freestyle and seventh in the 500 freestyle. Kennedy finished eighth in the 100 butterfly.
Saturday's field was a mix of Division 1 and 2 schools. Rice Lake is in the same Division 2 sectional as Rhinelander.
"It's really good to swim that team before sectionals, put some faces with the names and really go after them at the sectional," coach Heck said. "They're a fast team and we know they're going to be ready at sectionals, too."
Rhinelander (3-0 Great Northern) returns home Thursday to swim Ladysmith/Bruce/Flambeau, which is one of four teams in a logjam at 2-1 in the conference behind the Hodags. The meet will begin at 5:30 p.m. at the Heck Family Community Pool.
Jeremy Mayo may be reached at [email protected].
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