Team preview: RHS girls’ swimming

A conference title, a sectional title and a top-five finish at the WIAA state meet would be considered a banner year for most programs. But, for the Rhinelander High School girls’ swim team, last year marked a slight decline from its previous two seasons. The Hodags won the D2 state title in 2020 and followed that up with a runner-up finish in 2021. 

With five of the six swimmers who competed in Waukesha last season returning, plus a number of other key additions, the Hodags appear poised to contend for another trophy at this year’s state meet.

That end goal is certainly on the mind of head coach Jenny Heck but, for now, she says her team is taking things one practice and one meet at a time. 

“We just get ready each day,” she said. “We take each day, each day is very important and builds upon the previous day. We’re not going to worry about November. We’re just working about this week of August.”

But it’s easy for fans to consider the talent this team has and the potential it has to challenge the state’s best come November. 

Headlining the list of returning swimmers is senior Abi Winnicki who had a run of fours at last year’s D2 state meet. She finished fourth in the 200-yard freestyle, the 100 freestyle, the 200 freestyle relay and the 400 freestyle relay — while setting all-state and school-record times in the 100 and 200 free. 

The goal for Winnicki this year is to climb a little bit higher on that podium. 

“She’s ready. She wants it to be her turn. She’s been working for this,” coach Heck said. “There were too many fourths for her last year and that’s not going to happen again. We’re going to get her to where she needs to be. I’m not going to speak for Abi, I’ll let her set her own goals, but I know she’s going to be right on track to be on top.”

Winnicki is joined by two other swimmers who had four-event programs in Waukesha last November in juniors Ellyse Younker and Lily Thorsen. Younker swam in all three relays at state and scored a seventh-place finish individually in the 100 butterfly, missing the podium in that event by 0.63 seconds. Thorsen had a breakout season in 2022 culminating with an eighth-place finish in the 100 breaststroke and an 11th-place swim in the 100 breaststroke to go along with a fourth in the 200 freestyle relay and a seventh in the 200 medley relay. 

Sophomores Millie Gruett and Emma Houg round out the quintet of returning state swimmers. They got a taste of the state meet on relays last year with Gruett swimming a leg of the 400 freestyle relay and Houg competing in the 200 medley relay. 

“There are a lot of kids that just have a lot of experience at the state meet and know what to expect, or they just missed being there and could be there (this year),” coach Heck said. “Everyone on this team has really great potential to do great things — not only in conference but sectionals and then on to state.”

    In this Nov. 6, 2021 file photo, Rhinelander’s Karis Francis competes in the 100-yard butterfly during a WIAA Division 2 sectional meet in Menomonie. Francis a senior, is back with the Hodags this fall after opting to compete at the club level last season. (Jeremy Mayo/River News)
  

Add to that list a pair of swimmers with a last name that’s been synonymous with success for Rhinelander swimming for much of the last decade — Francis. 

After opting to compete at the club level last year, senior Karis Francis is back on the roster. She’s joined on the team by her freshman sister, Celia.

Karis Francis and Winnicki are the two remaining holdovers from the group that swam to a state title back in 2020. Two years ago, Karis Francis was part of podium finish in the 200 medley and 200 freestyle relays at state. She also finished ninth in the 100 breaststroke and 11th in the 100 butterfly.

According to results database MeetMobile, Celia Francis has already posted times in club competition that would have placed in the top 11 at state last year in the backstroke, breaststroke, butterfly, 100 freestyle and 200 individual medley. 

“They’re very talented. To have their experience, their talent, their speed and their versatility, it’s going to be really invaluable,” coach Heck said. “To have them coming here, Karis knows what we do and what to expect and I think Celia does now too watching her siblings. I think they’re really excited to be part of this team and know the potential that there is here. We’re going to see what they can do and where they fit in and we know they’ll be an important part wherever they are.”

In addition to Winnicki and Karis Francis, the Hodag have several other notable seniors. Margaret Lambert finished fifth at sectionals in the 100 backstroke last year and was on a pair of all-conference relays. Sam Sundby was seventh at sectionals in the 100 breaststroke after taking third in that event at conference. She and Lambert were both on the runner-up 200 medley relay at conference last October. 

Abbie Ames swam to a third-place finish in the 200 freestyle at conference last year. She and senior Claire Caselton were on e third-place 400-freestyle relay with Lambert. 

Additionally, the Hodags welcome in a bevy of freshman talent that should contribute right away. Notably, Vivian Lamers and Ella Heck were individual event champions last fall as the James Williams Middle School girls’ swim team won the Wisconsin Valley Conference meet. 

“They’ve been watching the success of the program before and they’re hungry to be a part of it,” coach Heck said of the freshman class. “They’ve just been really preparing for this. They’re going to make an impact immediately also. It will be fun to see what they want to do, plus they have a ton of energy. I think it’s going to add some enthusiasm to the team too, which is always great. Everybody swims faster when they’re having fun.”

The Hodags open the season Thursday with the Merrill Fun in the Sun Outdoor Relays and will then compete in the Colby/Abbotsford Pentathlon Aug. 23 before jumping into GNC play Aug. 31 at Ladysmith. 

The first home meet for Rhinelander is the Hodag Relays on Sept. 9. That kicks off four straight weeks of Saturday invites for the team as it prepares for the end of the season. The team will compete in Waukesha, Jefferson and Fond du Lac the following three Saturdays. 

“We have a lot of fun invites which will be good competition in the southern part of the state,” coach Heck said. “When you can see some of those swimmers you’re going to be racing at the state meet or at the sectional meet and you look at them eye-to-eye, they don’t becoming intimidating anymore. You’re like, ‘Hey, I can beat them.’ We don’t see them a lot, being up north, but we can compete with the best of them.”

Heck said this year’s team is talented, has been committed in the offseason and is motivated by the Division 2 state championship that the Hodag boys’ swim team won this past winter. It all makes for a very potent combination. 

“You put all those things together and they’re going to be unstoppable,” she said.

Jeremy Mayo may be reached at [email protected].

TEAM SCHEDULE

Date    Opponent/Event    Time

8/17    Merrill Outdoor Relays    5 p.m.

8/23    Colby Pentathlon    2 p.m.

8/31    at Ladysmith*    5:30 p.m.

9/7    at Medford*    5:30 p.m.

9/9    HODAG RELAYS    11 a.m.

9/14    at Lakeland*    5:30 p.m.

9/16    Waukesha South Invite    5:30 p.m.

9/21    TOMAHAWK*    5:30 p.m.

9/23    Jefferson Invite    10 a.m.

9/28    MOSINEE*    5:30 p.m.

9/29    Fond du Lac Invite    6 p.m.

9/30    Fond du Lac Invite    10 a.m.

10/5    at Colby/Abbotsford*    5:30 p.m.

10/12    ANTIGO*    5:30 p.m.

10/20    GNC Meet at Antigo*    5 p.m.

11/4    WIAA Sectionals at Merrill    1 p.m.

11/10    WIAA State at Waukesha    5:30 p.m. 

  * Conference meets | HOME MEETS IN CAPS