November 8, 2021 at 9:08 a.m.
Back in force
Hodag swimmers lock up 12 state entries, win third straight sectional title
Back in force
The Hodags dominated Saturday, winning seven events and earning 12 overall berths to the state meet as they defeated Rice Lake by 48 points for the sectional title at Menomonie High School. It's Rhinelander's third straight sectional title as the defense of the team's 2020 WIAA D2 state championship continues.
"I'm just really proud of all the girls. It was just a great team events and they all swam their hearts out and gave it them all. It was just a really great day," coach Jenny Heck said.
The Hodags had six individuals make it to state in a combination of individual events or relays. Karis Francis, Malia Francis, Genna Fugle, Noelle St. Pierre, Ellyse Younker and Abi Winnicki all made it on two of Rhinelander's three sectional championship-winning relays. Malia Francis and Abi Winnicki each tacked on two wins in their individual events, while Karis Francis, St. Pierre and Fugle added at-large bids by being among the 12 fastest non-sectional champions statewide in their events.
"Overall, the times are really good for where they're at and I was really pleased," coach Heck said. "They're on a fast team. They've got a lot of fast girls they are with and they should be really proud to be on a great team."
Malia Francis put herself on pace to extend her school record of six individual WIAA state titles, as she won the 200-yard individual medley and the 100 backstroke convincingly. She went 2 minutes, 6.85 seconds in the IM, and 55.28 seconds in the backstroke - the fastest times overall in Division 2 from Saturday's four sectional meets.
Francis is the back-to-back state champion in the backstroke and was also a two-time defending state champion in the butterfly, but decided to go after the individual medley this year - an event her sister, Kiah, won a state title in five years ago.
"I thought it might be fun to switch it up a little bit and see if I could still place well in it," Malia Francis said. "I think my times, in the 2IM, I can get close to breaking a state record. It's also close in the fly, but I felt I had a better chance in the IM."
While Francis' backstroke time of 55.28 was slower than her school record of 54.49 set 15 days earlier at the Great Northern Conference meet, she said Saturday's race set her up well for a chance at a three-peat in the event this Friday.
"The back today felt really smooth. I definitely think I can go faster and I'm looking forward to next week so I can drop that time some more," she said.
Winnicki backed up her top seeds in both the 100 and 200. She went 1:56.27 seconds in the 200 to win by 2.55 seconds over Tomahawk's Paige Dekiep, and 53.66 seconds in the 100 to beat Lakeland's Rylee Ahlborn by 0.84 seconds.
"I was really happy with how I did," Winnicki said. "My 100 was honestly really encouraging for my goal this season. I'm really hoping I can get that and try to place up there at state and get a best time. My 200, I thought it was pretty good to be on pace for a best time at state and I'm just excited to have good races and be excited at state."
Rhinelander dominated in all three relay races. The Hodags set the tone in the 200 medley relay as Malia Francis, St. Pierre, Karis Francis and Younker went 1:48.56 to break the school record set at last year's state meet by nearly a second.
The Hodags then cruised in the 200 freestyle relay with Winnicki, Fugle, Karis Francis and St. Pierre (1:39.51), and the 400 freestyle relay with Malia Francis, Younker, Fugle and Winnicki (3:37.32).
"The relays were really fun to watch," coach Heck said. "I thought they really controlled the relays. Their splits were really good and it gives us a lot of options of what we can do. We'll see where we're seeded when it comes out, but I think we're in good position."
"Phenomenal relays. They were insane," Winnicki said. "Having pool records to be able to go for was so fun and crazy when we were able to accomplish them."
Malia Francis broke the Menomonie High School pool records in the IM and the backstroke, while the team broke the pool records in all three relays. Francis said the records gave the team an added push, especially in the 200 and 400 freestyle relays. In those two races, the team that was supposed to be the Hodags' nearest pursuer, Lakeland, fell back substantially with two of its top swimmers - Naomi Hamerla and Josie Wentland - unable to swim on Saturday.
"To get pool records was pretty cool," Francis said. "A lot of pools don't even put up their records, except like ours. So to see them and them to be able to accomplish that was really cool and I think it added tot the excitement to the day."
The Hodags nearly had an eighth sectional champion. Karis Francis, a sophomore, rallied over the final 25 yards of the 100 butterfly, but lost a touch at the wall by 0.02 seconds to Dekiep. Still, her time of 59.05 seconds was more than fast enough to earn at at-large bid at state. Similarly in the breaststroke, Francis placed fourth (1:08.19), but was still well inside the top 16 statewide.
St. Pierre placed fifth in the breaststroke (1:09.61), but still made it into the state field by 0.87 seconds.
"That whole race was just really fast and I knew their times were fast. I hoped they would make it. I think they've got more in them and they can get a little faster next week," coach Heck said.
St. Pierre was fourth in the 50 freestyle (24.99), finishing 0.21 seconds better than the cutline. Fugle was fifth in the 100 freestyle and was the final of the 16 state qualifiers for the event with a time of 55.51 seconds.
"That's awesome. That 100 free is tough. Those sprints, you never know. It's such a close race. I'm really happy for her, the first time she's ever made state individually," coach Heck said.
Fugle was not able to make it in the 50 freestyle, where she placed ninth at a 25.62, only 0.42 seconds off the cutline. Younker took third in the butterfly (1:02.20) and fourth in the IM (2:21.20), missing the state meet by 1.63 and 4.79 seconds in those events, respectively.
Sam Sundby was sixth in the 100 breaststroke. Her time of 1:13.20 missed the state meet by 2.72 seconds.
Individually, seniors Maria Heck and Sierra Woodford swam for what will likely be the final time in their high school careers. Heck took seventh in the 200 freestyle (2:09.02) and was fourth in the 500 freestyle (5:47.60), while Woodford was 15th in the 200 freestyle (2:16.36). Both will likely be alternates for the Hodags this coming Friday at state.
"Those girls have been swimming for 12 years," coach Heck said. "They've given a lot and their families have to their program, to Rhinelander swimming and the kids are just great leaders and great role models. Not everyone can make it to state, but those girls have really taken super leadership roles on our team."
Freshman Lily Thorsen took ninth in the 500 freestyle for Rhinelander, breaking the six-minute mark for the first time (5:57.05).
The WIAA Division 2 state meet will be held this Friday at Waukesha South High School.
Jeremy Mayo may be reached at [email protected].
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