October 6, 2022 at 8:46 a.m.
Winnicki takes down 500 free record, Hodags beat Colby/Abby 128-41
Winnicki takes down 500 free record, Hodags beat Colby/Abby 128-41
Rhinelander junior Abi Winnicki took down the 500-yard freestyle mark as the Hodags swam to a 128-41 victory over Colby/Abbotsford in the team's final home meet of the season.
Winnicki swam the event in 5 minutes, 11.38 seconds, beating Karen Burton Reeder's 1979 mark by 1.99 seconds. Burton Reeder still holds the school record in the event, having gone 5:10.27 later that season.
Burton Reeder was on hand last October when Winnicki, who normally does not swim the 500 in competition, went for the record and finished at 5:26.55. Tuesday was Winnicki's first attempt at the mark since that day.
"She's been waiting for this for a year now. Karen was here last year and we've been in contact. I wish she could have been here to see her do it this time," Hodag coach Jenny Heck said. "Abi's been training really well. I didn't really doubt that she'd have it in her. In fact, she was so close, if she knew she was that close, I think she could have gotten that varsity record as well. I'm really happy for her. It was just really smart, great swim."
Making the accomplishment even more remarkable is the fact that Winnicki did it coming off of the team's most grueling practice of the season - the 10,000-yard swim - which took place Monday.
"The 10,000 yards hits people differently," Heck said. "Some of the swimmers were feeling more of the affects of it, but Abi's pretty seasoned. I think she just got into a groove. We've done a lot of pace training with the girls lately and she knew what she needed to do. She stuck with the plan."
The feat underscored yet another dominating victory for the Hodags in Great Northern Conference action. Winnicki was involved in four race wins and Rhinelander took 10 of the 11 events to move to 6-0 in conference duals.
The night was also a chance to honor Rhinelander's group of five senior swimmers, who competed for the final time in the Heck Pool. All five were on at least one winning relay.
"It was really a night of celebrating the seniors. We have five seniors and I think they all fared really well tonight," Heck said. "They're really a dedicated group that have been swimming a long time and a close group. It was really special."
Winnicki added a win in the 50 freestyle (24.65) and was on Rhinelander's winning 200 and 400 freestyle relays. She swam with seniors Gussie Gruett, Abigale Johnson and Phoebe Moran in the 200 (1:50.25); and with seniors Ella Cordy and Genna Fugle, as well as sophomore Ellyse Younker, in the 400 (3:55.05).
Younker was Rhinelander's other four-event winner on the night. She was part of the winning 200 medley relay with Margaret Lambert, Lily Thorsen and Fugle (2:00.67). Individually, she won the 200 freestyle (2:04.11) and the 100 freestyle (55.32).
"Ellyse Younker had a really solid meet," Heck said. "She was really happy to get her 100 free time and her 200 free. Her freestyle's just been looking really strong. That was really a good meet for her."
Thorsen added wins in the 200 individual medley (2:22.61) and the 100 backstroke (1:07.55) for Rhinelander while Sam Sundby took the 100 breaststroke (1:15.35).
The Hodags swept the top two spots in all three relay races and went 1-2-3 in both the 200 (Younker, Emma Houg, Abbie Ames) and the 500 freestyle (Winnicki, Camilla Gruett, Fugle).
Freshman Madisyn Schraufnagel scored Colby/Abbotsford's lone victory, edging Houg for the win in the 100 butterfly (1:07.30). Thorsen beat Schraufnagel by 0.97 seconds to win the backstroke.
"They have some good girls and gave us some good races," Heck said. "Emma knew she had to race her in the fly and to do her best. Emma, it was a good time for her, (same for) Lily in the back. We had some good races and, overall, we had some top-three finishes from girls who haven't been in the top three a lot."
Fugle added a runner-up swim for the Hodags in the 50 freestyle with Camilla Gruett was second in the individual medley.
Rhinelander will look to close out its fourth straight undefeated season in GNC play on the road this coming Tuesday at Antigo. The GNC championship meet will take place Oct. 21 in Tomahawk.
"This is our last home meet and we want them swimming events that they think they can do well in at the end of season," Heck said. "We're still getting some surprises and the kids are surprising themselves, but this is it. Antigo's a meter pool, so it's a different type of meet. Then it's the conference championships. It's all coming down to the wire."
Jeremy Mayo may be reached at [email protected].
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