January 24, 2022 at 10:07 a.m.
RHS swim downs Antigo, moves to 7-0 in GNC
RHS swim downs Antigo, moves to 7-0 in GNC
Rhinelander won every event. In fact, no Hodag swimmer was beaten by a Red Robin swimmer on the night as Rhinelander took the dual 137-17.
No team, boys or girls, has ever achieved a perfect dual meet score of 140 points in GNC competition, according to conference statistician Gregg Scott. The Hodag girls were one point away in 2020 in a dual meet win over Mosinee.
The Rhinelander boys nearly found perfection Thursday night, but a disqualification in the 200-meter individual medley left the Hodags three points short.
"They didn't have a very large team and our kids had a lot of events that they haven't swam before," coach Jenny Heck said. "It was close to that perfect meet. We haven't had that this year, but we have one more chance to do it."
Perfection was not Rhinelander's objective Thursday night. Swimming in the only short course meter pool in the GNC, the Hodags used the meet as another chance to put athletes in events they are not accustomed to swimming.
Rhinelander also spread the wealth around. The Hodags had eight different winners in the eight individual events and, overall, the team had 11 different swimmers contribute to at least one victory.
"We're just going through the lineup and trying to get the kids through all of the events," coach Heck said. "A lot of the kids haven't swam some of these events yet. I think we finally have almost everybody in everything and got a time on them. It's good to see how you improve throughout there years in different events.
"I thought their strokes looked good. We've been working on some of the specifics that I saw them trying. I said tonight's a great night to try those things that might help make them a tenth or two faster at the end of the year. I saw them trying those things and that's what they're supposed to be doing."
With only five swimmers on a small squad, Antigo did not field any entries in four of the 11 events, but Rhinelander had the Robins covered in the events they did enter.
Dolan O'Malley (2 minutes, 15.37 seconds) led a 1-2-3 sweep for the Hodags with Shawn Denis and Marcus O'Malley in the 200-meter freestyle. Carter Gaber (26.33), Mathias Fugle and Jacob Schoppe went 1-2-3 in the 50 freestyle. Jack Antonuk (1:02.18), Brock Arrowood and Daniel Gillingham were separated by 1.68 seconds as they took the top three in the 100 butterfly. Samson Shinners (59.17), Marcus O'Malley and Eli Lundt went 1-2-3 in the 100 freestyle and Gillingham (1:15.19), Shinners and Charlie Heck swept the top three in the 100 breaststroke.
Both of Rhinelander's entries beat Antigo in the 200 and 400 freestyle relays. The team of Shawn Denis, Marcus O'Malley, Dolan O'Malley and Fugle (1:51.49) took the 200 over Shinners, Ashton Cole, Lundt and Schoppe. The quartet of Lundt, Dolan O'Malley, Gaber and Antonuk (4:09.80) beat teammates Schoppe, Dennis, Fugle and Gillingham by 0.04 seconds in the 400.
"(Assistant coach) Brent (Olson) had fun lining up those relays and racing them. I think that's what's keeping us going with such fast times on our team," coach Heck said. "The fastest in the conference are mostly on our team. When they can race each other, that's what they have to do, because they need some motivation to push through on these kinds of meets where they're not getting the competition as much from the other team."
Arrowood won the 200 individual medley for Rhinelander (2:37.07), Charlie Heck won the 400-meter freestyle (4:58.25) and Denis (1:14.40) edged Antonuk by 0.58 seconds for the win in the 100 backstroke.
Gaber, Shinners, Arrowood and Heck took the 200 medley relay (1:58.41) by 0.51 seconds over Zacha King, Fugle, Antonuk and Gillingham.
Rhinelander (7-0) will look to wrap up an undefeated conference dual meet season at Shawano this evening. The Hawks are Rhinelander's nearest pursuer, at 5-1 in the GNC, but the Hodags routed Shawano 136-33 when the teams met in Rhinelander Jan. 13.
Tonight will be Rhinelander's last meet before the GNC championship meet Feb. 4 in Tomahawk.
"We're looking forward to wrapping up conference and getting into end-of-season, because that's where the fun begins," coach Heck said. "The kids are looking to get some rest. They're at the point of the season where It's a real grind and we've just got to mentally and physically stay in the fight."
Jeremy Mayo may be reached at [email protected].
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