March 31, 2021 at 6:05 a.m.
Team review: RHS gymnastics
Hodag gymnasts grew in challenging 2020-21 season
Team review: RHS gymnastics
It started in the offseason as the team had to resort to training and stretching outside for a couple of weeks in July as Rhinelander sports slowly worked their way back following the COVID-19 shutdown.
Once practice rolled around in November, the team had to get creative as the finishing touches were being applied to their new home, the Hodag Dome. There was a week of practice at Northwoods Gymnastics in Sugar Camp while the team's spot in the dome was being configured. Then a couple of more weeks to get the uneven bars set up.
Even once the season started, the prospect of losing meets due to contact tracing and quarantines was a real possibility.
"We never knew if we were going to hit our next meet, have our next competitors, but yet we did," coach Heather Sturtevant said earlier this month during the team's year-end banquet. "We had our whole season, albeit smaller with no invites other than our one that we held. We did it and we even got to send somebody to state. Really, in all these trying times, we really had a season. I'm so proud and grateful to all you guys. You made a commitment to the team."
In the end, the Hodags finished second in the GNC Small division and placed fourth at sectionals. Individually, Lilli Bishop became Rhinelander's first state qualifier in three years.
Here are five storylines from the season.
Dome sweet dome
Thought it took the team a couple of weeks to settle in, the Hodag Dome ended up being a major upgrade in facilities for the gymnasts.
There were immediate logistical benefits. For the first time, the team had an area dedicated to its sport and could leave equipment in position all year long without needing to move it for competitions or take it down if space was needed for another sport.
On Dec. 10, the team made history by becoming the first to host an official high school competition inside the new 128,000-sqaure-foot facility. Rhinelander defeated Chequamegon 112.0-69.7 in that first competition.
The facility's large footprint also made it an attractive venue for the WIAA, which awarded the dome a D2 sectional meet. It marked the first time since 2006 that Rhinelander hosted a sectional competition.
"We're very excited about that, really excited to show off the dome to a lot more teams," Sturtevant said leading up to sectionals. "Talking today with a bunch of the judges that haven't been up there yet, they're excited to see what we can do hosting a fairly large event."
Chasing 120
Right out of the gate, Rhinelander showed improvement from last season. The team scored a 115.925 in its first meet of the season, surpassing its season high team score from the 2019-20 season.
That was never going to be enough to catch Medford, which has blossomed in the last few years as one of the strongest programs in the region. The Raiders won the GNC Small Meet this year with a 134.9, which was nearly a point better than GNC Large champion Marshfield.
Yet the Hodags had a goal of 120 on their radar. The team struggled to get there during GNC Small dual meets, failing to crack 115 in each of the four duals. But the team picked up at the end of the season, scoring a 119.475 at conference and following that up with a 119.35 at sectionals.
"Our team really came together when we needed to and started chipping away," Sturtevant said. "I know we didn't hit our 120 but, boy, we came close twice. We really did. We can hold our head high, second in conference behind Medford. We were very solid, all of you, not just one or two of you, everybody. That's how we get to that score."
Stately performance
In particular, Bishop, a senior, peaked at the end of the season. She scored a career-high 30.9 in the all-around at the GNC meet and then shattered that score with a 31.55 at sectionals.
That score at sectionals included a career-high 8.0 on balance beam, which placed fourth in the event and earned Bishop a trip to the WIAA D2 state tournament.
"It really wasn't what I was expecting," Bishop said, admitting that beam was not her strongest event. "I knew the qualifying score for beam was already pretty low because I was paying really close attention ... My highest beam score before today was a 7.9, so I knew I could have possibly made it, but it's still surprising. It's really surprising for me."
Bishop became Rhinelander's first state qualifier since 2018, when Stephanie Kuester (floor exercise) and Raven Sturtevant (uneven bars) both made it. Bishop was Rhinelander's first to compete on the balance beam at state since 2013 when Megan Thornton qualified in the event and Elle Spieglehoff also competed as an all-around qualifier.
The routine at state didn't go exactly go according to plan for Bishop. Falls at the end of a couple of new skill combinations led to a score of 7.25 and a 20th-place finish in the event.
"We fell, but she's in the top 20 of the state," coach Sturtevant said. "We're still so proud of her and it's such an accomplishment. It's something, for seven years, she's been wanting to happen and it did. She should go home and be super proud of that."
Strong seniors
Bishop was one of three seniors on the team this year along with Bridget Koser and transfer student Julia Burke. In particular, Bishop and Koser were leaders on the squad this year.
Bishop, returning from a sternum injury that ended her season just before sectionals last February, cracked 30 in the all-around in seven of Rhinelander nine meets this season, and had the team's best all-around score eight times. Additionally, she led the Hodags on the floor exercise in every been this season, and either had or was tied for the team-high on uneven bars in eight meets. Bishop had the team's best score of the season in three of the four individual events, as well as the all-around.
Koser, who's season was highlighted by a career-high 30.05 in the all-around in a meet against Antigo Jan. 21, led the team on beam three times, and on uneven bars twice.
"The team is going to be real different for me without these two ladies," coach Sturtevant said. "You have been very good captains. You have led by example. You have been supportive of the whole team even if you're not having a great day that day. You've been able to lead with grace, even with you've been a little stressed. I think you've been phenomenal role models to our girls."
What's next
In the loss of the three seniors, the Hodags need to replace two all-arounders and a total of 10 of their 20 varsity starting spots.
The team figures to be young next year, with no seniors projected to be on the roster. Sophomore-to-be Alexa Lukes and junior-to-be Payton Rudawski will be the team's top returning gymnasts.
Lukes was particularly strong on vault this year, leading the team in that event in six of its nine competitions. She was the team's third all-arounder, with Bishop and Koser this year, posting a high score of 30.575 at the GNC meet.
Rudawski, meanwhile, was a three-event starter for the Hodags, had a season-best 8.2 on vault and was the team's top scorer on balance beam at the GNC meet.
The majority of next year's team figures to be sophomores and freshmen, but Sturtevant said she expects the team to pick up where it left off at the end of this season.
"I think our program is going to continue to flourish and grow," she said. "We're definitely on an upswing. We're not in a build year anymore. We're going up. We should have quite a few freshmen coming in again."
Jeremy Mayo may be reached at [email protected].
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