Hodag swimmers set four pool records, rout Ladysmith in GNC opener

The Rhinelander High School girls’ swim team showed Thursday night it is capable of doing more than just resetting the record board at its home pool. The Hodags are more than comfortable taking down records at other pools, too.

The Hodags set four pool records and won all 11 events at the rolled to a 134-36 victory at Ladysmith to open the Great Northern Conference dual meet season.

Senior Abi Winnicki knocked off the pool record in the 200-yard individual medley, senior Karis Francis set a record in the 100 backstroke and the Hodags took down marks in the 200 and 400 freestyle relays. 

“I don’t think we were really looking at those times before, but you’re always excited to get a pool record,” coach Jenny Heck said. “To have four of them in one meet was really fun and the girls are really proud.”

Winnicki went 2 minutes, 12. 08 seconds in the IM while Karis Francis became just the fifth swimmer in school history to break a minute in the 100 backstroke (59.37). That list includes her older sisters, Kiah and Malia, along with Winnicki and Lisa Kennedy. 

Winnicki swam with freshmen Vivian Lamers, June Chiamulera and Celia Francis to the pool record in the 200 freestyle relay (1:42.58) while Karis Francis, Celia Francis, junior Ellyse Younker and Winnicki made up the record-breaking quartet in the 400 freestyle relay (3:45.22). 

Winnicki added a win in the 100 breaststroke (1:08.64) while Karis Francis won the 50 freestyle (24.98). 

“Off the bat, to be swimming this fast and the times we’re seeing right now is really promising, just the depth that we have,” coach Heck said. “These kids weren’t in their top events and to be swimming this fast in some of their off events is really great.”

Celia Francis was also a four-event winner for the Hodags on the night. She edged Lamers for the win in both the 200 freestyle (2:04.16) and the 100 butterfly (1:04.43). 

Coach Heck said the Hodags mixed up their lineup a bit on Thursday in an effort to push swimmers outside their comfort zone. 

“We thought it was a good way to start the season, getting used to being uncomfortable,” she said. “It’s a good lesson on how to attack a meet, both mentally and physically. We had a lot of discussion about how it’s OK not to be comfortable. I think we learned a lot, swam fast, had some really great times. 

“We’re going to mix it up here and there as much as we can because you can only just learn from trying new things and getting out of your comfort zone.”

Chiamulera added a win for the Hodags in the 100 freestyle (58.34) while Thorsen took the 500 freestyle (5:47.20).

The Hodags swept at least the top two positions in 10 of the 11 races as they finished six points shy of a perfect dual meet score. 

Sophomore Emma Houg, junior Lily Thorsen, Karis Francis and Younker took the 200 medley relay (1:56.43) by 3.7 seconds over freshman Kiley Pooch, freshman Ella Heck, sophomore Gussie Gruett and Chiamulera. 

Winnicki, Younker and Ella Heck went 1-2-3 in the IM. Thorsen and Gruett finished behind Karis Francis in the 50. Houg and senior Sam Sundby finished second and third in the 100 freestyle while Houg added a runner-up finish in the breaststroke. Pooch and Gruett finished second and third behind Thorsen in the 500, while Younker and freshman Rylee Mickevicius were second and third in the backstroke. 

Vivian Lamers, Ella Heck, Gruett and Thorsen finished second in the 400 freestyle relay. Though only the top two relays counted toward the team score, Rhinelander’s exhibition C relay had the third-fastest time in both the 200 medley (Margaret Lambert, Abbie Ames, Mickevicius, Claire Caselton) and the 400 freestyle (Mickevicius, Ames, Sundby, Pooch).

“We just had some really good races. The freshmen really contributed well, had some good races with each other. The sophomores and juniors had some great times. I was really pleased with the seniors, a lot of personal bests,” coach Heck said of a brisk meet that was completed in just 1 hour, 5 minutes. “I thought the girls really went after it, kept having fun and working hard … They all had four individual events. By the end of that fourth, they were feeling it, but I was still pleased with their splits and how they attacked the second half of the meet.” 

Rhinelander (1-0 Great Northern) will travel to Medford this coming Thursday for another conference dual before coming home to host the Hodag Relays on Saturday. It will be the first of four straight Saturday meets for the Hodags in a busy month of September.

“It’s going to be a busy September and I guess that’s part of the plan,” coach Heck said. “But once school starts, the season just seems to fly by. Our last three-hour practice was yesterday. Now we’re going back into having to split between mornings and after school. It’s going to be a little more challenging to keep up the training but, after seeing their times and seeing the success they’re having, hopefully the motivation will continue.” 

Jeremy Mayo may be reached at [email protected].