August 2, 2021 at 8:13 a.m.
Team review: RHS Track & Field
Two years after GNC title, Hodag track delivers strong encore
Team review: RHS Track & Field
It turns out, it wasn't.
Though the Hodag boys did not repeat as GNC champs, they finished a close second to Mosinee and the team sent one more entry to state this year than it did in 2019 - despite making a jump back up to Division 1.
"I just thought it was a great family atmosphere this year," coach Aaron Kraemer said in late June, reflecting on the season. "I thought that our athletes responded to difficulties all season long. You look at the long trips to Ashland early in the season. You look at some cold meets we had to deal with, COVID and going through the summer. We stayed together as a family all year long. Even though difficult times at the conference meet and not being able to win, after that we came together as a family and responded the way that we needed to."
Here are five storylines from the season:
Strong regular season
The Hodag boys' track team picked up where it left off in 2019, winning meets right out of the gate. Rhinelander won the first six meets to start the season and was not beaten until placing second to Stanley-Boyd June 1 at the Medford Invite.
With the sprinting of Caleb Olcikas and others, strong hurdling from Cole Worrall and contributions in the throwing events, high jump and even some distance points, Kraemer called the boys' side a well-rounded squad.
"Our team, for being 50 strong, we have a lot of kids that can contribute," he said after the team won its home invite May 13. "I'm really, really proud of everybody. I'm proud of our distance team for scoring points. I'm proud of our throwers for being as consistent as they are. Obviously, our top-end sprinters and hurdlers, they're great too, but every single person is putting in a shift for us and doing the best they can every meet. It shows in the points."
The Hodag girls did not have the same depth as the boys' squad, which meant a number of middle of the pack finishes during the regular season, but had several standouts, including high jumper Rebecca Lawrence, sprinters Sage Flory and Megan Brown and multi-discipline athlete Emma Germain.
GNC letdown
Unfortunately for the Hodag boys, they were unable to put everything together on a steamy, and eventually, stormy afternoon in Medford - falling to Mosinee by 5 1/2 points for the conference title.
The Indians stacked their sprint and broad jumping events for maximum points and it was enough to overcome Rhinelander's gains in other events. Mosinee outscored Rhinelander in only six of the 18 events, but did so by a large enough margin to secure the conference title.
"They had a really good meet plan. They did everything they needed to do to beat us and we had a few things not go our way. That's how track meets are. You've got to score the points when you have them," Kraemer said.
Despite not repeating as boys' conference champions, the Hodags got individual conference tiles from Worrall in both the 110 and 300-meter hurdles, from both its boys' and girls' 4x100-meter relay teams, from Jaden Beske in the boys' high jump and Germain in the girls' triple jump.
D1 battle
Rhinelander was the lone GNC school in an eight-team regional that was essentially a reprise of the Wisconsin Valley Conference meet.
Regardless, Rhinelander more than held its own during the postseason, qualifying nine entries for sectional competition and placing fourth in the boys' division of the eight-team field.
"Just because we're the smallest team in the regional doesn't mean we have to be intimidated by these teams, doesn't mean that we have to overdo things," Kraemer said. "We belong here. We should be proud and happy to be in a meet like this."
Olcikas qualified for sectionals in both the 100 and 200 meters for the Hodags, in addition to being on the team's sectional-qualifying 4x100-meter relay. Worrall was a regional champ in both hurdle events, Jacques Tulowitzky qualified in the 100, Ty Welk made it in the 400 and Beske made it in the high jump.
Lawrence was the only Hodag girl to advance out of regionals, doing so in the high jump. The Hodags were in line to send their 4x100 team as well, but a miscue on an exchange, led to a dropped baton and a disqualification.
Soggy state
Worrall eventually made it to state in both hurdle events, while Beske and Lawrence each qualified in the high jump. All three went in to the meet in La Crosse with legitimate podium aspirations, but Mother Nature had different ideas.
Nearly 1 1/2 inches of rain fell during the roughly six hours it took to compete the D1 state meet and it appeared to affect the Hodags' performances. Worrall, seeded third overall in the 110 hurdles, failed to advance out of the preliminary rounds. Lawrence was able to only clear 4 feet, 10 inches before bowing out in the high jump while Beske wasn't able to make the starting height in adverse conditions.
"It just seemed like every time we were about to jump or about to start a race, the weather started to pick up and rain a little bit harder," Kraemer said. "When that happens, you just have to buckle down in your mentality ... It's unfortunate you didn't get to see the best out of D1 today but, at the same time, everybody had to handle it the same way. It is what it is there."
What's next
The good news for the Hodags is they do not graduate many key seniors from this year's squad. Lawrence bids farewell on the girls' side as she goes off to compete in track and field at UW-Whitewater. On the boys' side, Tulowitzky is the only sectional qualifier not eligible to return.
Olcikas and Worrall will be back for their seniors seasons, as will Flory, Brown and Germain on the girls' side.
"I think we're going to be competing for the conference championship again next season and we'll see," Kraemer said. "We're a junior-heavy team - both for the girls and the boys. Next year is going to be a very emotional season for me to watch these kids who started with me their freshman year now finish their career as competitors."
Jeremy Mayo may be reached at [email protected].
Comments:
You must login to comment.