September 2, 2020 at 10:59 a.m.
Team preview: RHS girls' swimming
Hodags hope for chances to prove their greatness
Team preview: RHS girls' swimming
The only question is if the Hodags will have an opportunity to truly showcase how great they could be.
The COVID-19 pandemic has already taken the Great Northern Conference meet off the table. Whether there will be a sectional or state meet - and which schools would participate - remains to be seen, but whatever competition the Hodags enter this season, it is certain they will come loaded for bear.
"We don't know what the final meet is going to be this year," coach Jenny Heck said. "It's not going to be typical or anything like we wanted it to be, but we are going to attack every meet, go after best times every chance we have an opportunity to race."
The first opportunity came Thursday as the Hodags traveled to Tomahawk to open conference competition. Expectations are sky high for the Hodags, as they should be considering who is returning. Junior Malia Francis, who claimed state championships in the 100-yard butterfly and 100 backstroke a year ago, headlines the list of returnees, but she's far from alone. All four of the Hodags' state qualifiers are back, including seniors Makenna Winnicki and Lisa Kennedy, and junior Noelle St. Pierre.
The four state qualifiers set a school-record in the 200 medley relay (1 minute, 49.08 seconds) as they finished on the podium in fifth overall in that event at state. The same quartet finished eighth in the 200 freestyle relay.
Makenna Winnicki, meanwhile, finished fourth in the 500 freestyle and ninth in the 200 individual medley while Kennedy finished 13th in the 100 backstroke.
"The girls were all swimming this summer beforehand, before practice started, with summer training," Heck said of the returning state qualifiers. "They're looking good. They're ready. We also have a group of those girls who are right on the edge (of making it to state) too who were training this summer."
Other notable returning swimmers for Rhinelander include juniors Maria Heck and Sierra Woodford, and sophomore Genna Fugle. They made up three fourths of the 400 freestyle relay team that took seventh at sectionals, clinching the overall sectional championship for the Hodags by one point over Rice Lake. Maria Heck earned second-team all-conference honors in the 500 freestyle and the 400 freestyle relay last year, while Woodford was second-team all-conference in the 400 freestyle relay.
The group of returning swimmers will be bolstered by a freshman class that is headlined by a pair of swimmers with familiar last names - Abi Winnicki and Karis Francis.
Abi Winnicki, Makenna's younger sister, comes in as a decorated swimmer at the club level. She won the 50-yard freestyle in last year's Wisconsin Valley Conference middle school meet in a time that would have placed second overall (25.74) in the GNC high school meet. Karis Francis is the fourth in the line of Francis siblings to come through the Rhinelander swim program over the past several years. Kiah, Nolan and Malia Francis have all won multiple state titles for the Hodags.
"The freshman class is strong and experienced," coach Heck said. "Abi's been swimming since she could almost walk and she's been great at the club level, the state level. She's an incredible swimmer and she's going to be a great addition to the team, along with the other girls too. Karis Francis is also a freshman and she brings a lot to the team as well."
Put it all together and the Hodags figure to have the depth and talent that will make them difficult to beat - particularly in the dual-meet format that will determine this year's conference champion.
"We are so well-rounded, so versatile. We could fill any event and do well," coach Heck said. "We've got great distance swimmers returning - Makenna, Maria, Noelle. We have a lot of girls - Malia, Karis - who can swim the 500. The longer events we've got covered. Our butterfly, backstroke, breaststroke, freestyle, I think we're strong in every event and every race.
"We really are going to have the depth, and that's what's amazing. Other years we've had a few swimmers, but now we can fill all relay spots with fast swimmers. That's a huge advantage when it comes to swimming, as a team within the conference."
The Hodags don't know when or if they will be able to go head-to-head with some of the fastest teams in the area or the state. Lakeland, which Rhinelander will swim against Sept. 17, figures to be the strongest competition in the GNC after taking sixth at sectionals last year.
Even if the team does not get the chance to race for sectional or state titles, there will be one opponent present each and every time the Hodags get in the water - the history books.
Last year the Hodags took down both varsity and Heck Pool records in the 200 medley really, 100 backstroke and the 100 butterfly. Expect the team to gun for even more pool and varsity records this year.
"We're ready to get some of those times down, especially records from other schools, and fill it more with Hodags' times and swimmers," coach Heck said. "We're definitely going after the record board this year. We just mentioned that at practice. Our goals may be different, but we still have goals. The girls are attacking it at practice and they know they are part of a team that can do some great things. I think they're all looking at that board and are ready to see some changes."
The Hodags' first home meet of the season will come next Thursday against Colby/Abbotsford. Rhinelander will host four conference duals this season. Due to the pandemic, all of Rhinelander's non-conference meets - including the Hodag Relays scheduled for Sept. 12 - have been canceled.
Jeremy Mayo may be reached at [email protected].
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