RHS swim ready for march to Waukesha

The Rhinelander High School girls’ swim team will have its sights on a fifth straight sectional title Saturday in Merrill as the WIAA Division 2 tournament commences. But the Hodags also have an eye toward an even bigger prize one week from tonight.

The Hodags enter Saturday’s D2 Merrill sectional as overwhelming favorites. Rhinelander has a projected 202-point cushion over runner-up Medford entering the 14-team meet. Moreover, the Hodags are projected to advance 18 of their 21 sectional entries on to the WIAA state meet in Waukesha next Friday —and the three projected not to make it are well within striking distances of the qualifying bubble with good performances tomorrow. 

The projections were compiled by the River News based on sectional psych sheets released Tuesday by the WIAA, which list all the entries for sectionals and their seed times, or season-best performances.

Hodag coach Jenny Heck said the first big hurdle of the postseason has already been cleared. With a strong team and so many fast swimmers, the hard part was figuring out how to use her 18 allotted individual entries and her three relays in a way that would yield the greatest potential to send as many entries to state as possible.

“It’s always nerve-wracking trying to get entries in and figure out what’s the best situation to do,” she said. “You’re looking at 11 of these girls and trying to make the best decision individually and for relays, what’s best for the team. To get this is, now I feel like it’s go time. I really do.”

The Hodags have had a strong track record at state the last four years, finishing no lower than fifth in the final team standings. Rhinelander won the D2 state title in 2020 and was the runner-up in 2021. A mock-up of the state meet based on the current sectional projections has the Hodags favored to win the state title over Whitefish Bay and perennial D2 power Madison Edgewood.

First thing’s first, however. To win at state the Hodags must first get there. They can do that by taking first place at sectionals —which they are projected to do in 10 of the 11 events. Those who don’t win still have a path to state as long as they are among the 12 fastest non-sectional champions across the D2 field on Saturday. 

“We’re in good position. Now we just have to keep our head on straight, do everything right and advance as many as possible. That will be the goal for Saturday,” coach Heck said. “Everyone’s in a little different position. Some are more rested than others. Everyone has their specific goals they’ve been working on. Now it’s just time to make it happen.”

Below is a look at how the Hodags stack up heading into Saturday’s sectional.

The best of the best

    In this Sept. 28, 2023 file photo, Rhinelander’s Karis Francis swims the 100-yard butterfly during a GNC dual meet against Mosinee at the Heck Family Community Pool. Francis has overall time in the Division 2 in the 100 butterfly and the 100 breaststroke entering Saturday sectional meet. (Bob Mainhardt for the River News)
  

Rhinelander has six entries that not only are projected to win on Saturday, but are the fastest overall in the state entering the postseason. 

That includes all three relays. Rhinelander’s 1 minute, 49.83-second seed time in the 200-yard medley relay is 1.29 seconds ahead of Whitefish Bay. The Hodags are 0.37 seconds up on Ashwaubenon in the 200 freestyle relay and 2.94 seconds ahead of Ashwaubenon in the 400 freestyle relay.

“I think we’re starting out with a great lineup for the relays and I think all the girls on it are ready and know how to handle that kind of a situation,” coach Heck said. “They’re experienced enough to do great. We can move things around if we want to and need to. That’s pretty nice. Most years we haven’t had a lot of room to move around. This year, if we find after sectionals, that we need to make some changes, we can.”

Senior Karis Francis is seeded No. 1 overall in both of her individual events. She has the top time in the 100 butterfly at 57.99, 1.17 seconds ahead of Whitefish Bay freshman Aibhy King. She also has the top spot in the 100 breaststroke (1:05.22), 0.69 seconds ahead of Stoughton’s Cheyenne Borroughs.

Celia Francis enters as the No. 1 overall seed in the 100 backstroke (58.35) as she looks to claim an event her older sister, Malia, won at state three consecutive years from 2019-2021.

While coach Heck said the top seed is nice, she cautioned there’s a lot of work still to be done as times begin to plummet at sectionals and state with swimmers putting on their speed suits and tapering their training. 

“It sounds great. You know me, I’m a little more cautious and there’s so much swimming to be had yet,” she said. “Everyone’s in the same position in the state. They want to advance. They want to drop time. They want to have the swims of their lives. This really doesn’t mean anything. It might give you a little confidence but, if anything, these girls need to realize it’s go time.”

Looking solid

The Hodags have four other entries projected to earn automatic bids by winning on Saturday. That includes senior Abi Winnicki, who once again is trying the 100/200 freestyle double at state. 

She’s favored to win both of those events at sectionals. Her 52.81-second seed time in the 100 is second fastest in the state and her 1:53.60 time in the 200 sits third fastest in that event.

Celia Francis is projected to win the 200 individual medley (2:16.62) in a time that’s fifth-fastest overall and sophomore Emma Houg enters as the favorite in the 500 freestyle (5:38.60) in a time that’s 12th best in the state.

Among those who are not projected to win on Saturday, the Hodags have six entries that appear pretty safe right now — with times that are currently inside the top 16 in the state and faster than the state qualifying time in their respective events in 2022. 

Freshman Vivian Lamers, and juniors Ellyse Younker and Lily Thorsen hold those six times. Lamers is seeded second in the sectional and third overall in the state in both the 50 freestyle (24.67) and the 100 freestyle (54.57). Younker is seeded sixth in the state in the 100 butterfly (1:00.03) and eighth in the 200 individual medley (2:18.09). Thorsen checks in 10th in the 100 breaststroke (1:10.19) and 12th in the 200 IM (2:19.05).

“There are some girls who are pretty solid, they just have to have great swims to be place well at state,” coach Heck said.

Bubble watch

Five swims to watch on Saturday involve underclassmen who are on or near the bubble in their respective events. Freshman June Chiamulera comes in seeded 14th in the 100 freestyle (56.64). While currently inside the top 16, her seed time is slower than last year’s qualifying standard (55.84). 

Houg meanwhile sits squarely on the bubble, 16th overall, in the 100 backstroke (1:03.95) and is only 0.02 seconds up on McFarland’s Caroline Green in 17th. Hodag freshman Kiley Pooch is also trying to make it in the backstroke and sits 18th in the projections, only 0.78 seconds behind Houg.

Sophomore Millie Gruett is seeded 19th overall in the 100 butterfly (1:04.03), 1.14 seconds out of 16th. Freshman Ella Heck is 19th in the 100 breaststroke (1:13.16), 0.86 seconds off the bubble.

“We have a handful of girls who just have to advance,” coach Heck said. “They’re going to have to swim their lifetime bests to advance. Those are the girls that can really make up some points at state that you don’t always know if you’re going to get or not. We’re really going to push for those girls.”

Jeremy Mayo may be reached at [email protected].