Hodag swimmers drop Antigo, hit the break undefeated in GNC

The Rhinelander High School boys’ swim team cruised to yet another easy victory on Thursday in Great Northern Conference competition.

The Hodags won all 11 events and beat Antigo 104-49 at the Heck Family Community Pool.

With a lineup geared more toward the swimmers’ top events, Rhinelander cruised in each race, swept the top two spots in six events and had a pair 1-2-3 finishes. 

“We like to have them go after some events and some times at their home pool that they really want to go for. We give them an opportunity to do that,” coach Jenny Heck said. “I thought all the guys swam well and had some good races. We raced the medley relay and the 400 free relay. That always helps produce some competition.”

Juniors Samson Shinners and Shawn Denis each had four-win programs for the Hodags. 

Shinners claimed the 200-yard freestyle (1 minute, 55.25 seconds), led a 1-2-3 finish in the 100 freestyle (51.30) and was on the team’s winning 200 and 400 freestyle relay teams. Denis claimed the 100 breaststroke (1:03.40) and was on all three winning relays. 

“I thought Samson had a pretty good 100 free after coming off a 200 free that was a little slow for him, but a strong 100 freestyle,” Heck noted.

    Rhinelander’s Dolan O’Malley competes in the 100-yard backstroke during a GNC boys’ swim dual meet against Antigo at the Heck Family Community Pool Thursday, Dec. 14. (Bob Mainhardt for the River News)
  

Junior Dolan O’Malley won three events on Thursday, including a pair of individual races. He edged senior teammate Zacha King by 0.56 seconds for the win in the 200 individual medley (2:09.43) and claimed the 100 backstroke (58.17) by roughly 2 1/2 seconds over his younger brother, Judson. 

“Dolan had a good meet with a really good 200 IM, and Zacha. Both of those guys raced each other and I thought they had a good race,” Heck said. “It came down to the end. Zacha was ahead but wasn’t looking on the other side, which is a lesson. We’ve caught these guys twice now not doing this and getting beat at the end.”

Mathias Fugle (22.98) won the 50 freestyle for Rhinelander, Brock Arrowood took the 100 butterfly (57.13) and King claimed the 500 freestyle. 

Freshman Charlie Antonuk passed teammate Christopher Larson in the final yards give his squad, which included Judson O’Malley, Denis, Dolan O’Malley, the win in the 200 medley relay (1:48.65) by 0.38 seconds. Denis posted a opening 22.91-second split as part of a 200 freestyle relay win with Arrowood, Shinners and Larson (1:39.07). Arrowood, Shinners, Antonuk and Denis made up the winning quartet in the 400 freestyle relay (3:23.86).

“Bubba (Fugle) broke the 23 mark in the 50 free, officially, and so did Shawn on a relay. That was great for our sprinters,” Heck said. “It was a fun meet for them. We had a good turnout at the pool and there seemed to be a lot of excitement and energy. That’s always good this time of year.” 

Judson O’Malley and Antonuk completed the top three behind Shinners in the 100 freestyle. Fugle and Antonuk finished second and third to Denis in the breaststroke. King, Fugle, Arrowood and Larson made up the runner-up team in the 200 medley relay while King, the O’Malley brothers and Fugle finished second in the 400 freestyle relay. 

Rhinelander (4-0 Great Northern) will return to action Jan. 4 when it hosts Medford and Shawano/Seymour in a conference double dual meet.

Jeremy Mayo may be reached at [email protected].