Team review: RHS girls’ swimming

While the 2024 Rhinelander High School girls’ swim team was not quite the tour de force that the 2023 version was, the Hodags were still dominant in the northern half of the state and of Wisconsin’s best D2 programs overall this season.

The end result, following the sixth straight Great Northern Conference and D2 sectional titles for the program, was a third-place swim at the WIAA state meet in Waukesha. Though the Hodags didn’t walk away with a gold or silver trophy — like they did in 2020, 2021 and 2023 — it was hard not to consider 2024 a success when looking at the numbers. 

Rhinelander had eight individual wins at the Great Northern Conference meet, seven wins at sectionals and, of the team’s 18 entries at the WIAA state meet, the Hodags had one state champion and nine other podium finishes. 

“That’s all we could do,” coach Jenny Heck said following the state meet. “When you have each girl giving it their all every step of the way, doing it for each other, these girls are so happy. There were tears and the tears weren’t of sadness. Of course, we wanted that trophy, but they were tears of happiness. They enjoyed this year together. It was such a united team and that’s something no trophy can display. That’s something they’ll never take away from these girls.” 

Here are five storylines from the recently completed season.

Regular season

Though the Hodags were pushed in relay meets at home and in Menomonie during the first month of the season, the early part of the season was strong for Rhinelander. The Hodags didn’t lose during the first few weeks of the season, and knocked off reigning Wisconsin Valley Conference champion Stevens Point 100-70 in a dual meet in late August. 

The Hodags rolled through the GNC season undefeated and were the top-placing D2 team at the Waukesha South Invite in September. But, the Hodags’ first true litmus test did not come until the middle of October when it finished behind Whitefish Bay and Madison Edgewood at the Small School State Invite at Shorewood — which would be a precursor of things to come in November.

“Whitefish Bay and Edgewood I thought both showed their depth today, did a really nice job,” coach Heck said afterward. “This meet is invaluable. It’s mostly the mental preparation. You kind of get an eye on some of these swimmers we don’t swim against. You get a feel for just what your competition might be. A lot of the teams put in their best lineup, some people play around with it a little bit. To come down here is so worth the trip. It’s a long day going there and back on the same day, but it’s definitely worth it. I’m glad we did it.”

Conference

Rhinelander lost a few more individual races this year in the conference compared to 2023 which, if anything, was a testament to the increased talent within the conference. Aside from the Hodag qualifiers, the GNC had three other swimmers qualify for state in individual events and seven other relay teams make it to Waukesha.

At the end of the day, no other program in the GNC came close to matching the depth and talent of Rhinelander. The Hodags blew past the second- and third-place teams in the conference duals — beating Medford 125-45 and Colby/Abbotsford 130-40. That dominance carried through to the GNC meet at Colby where the Rhinelander won eight events — including five 1-2 finishes — as it waltzed to the conference title by 147 points over Medford.

“I was looking for trying to see what we could get out of the girls and I saw a lot of good things,” coach Heck said. “I know they’re fatigued and tired. They fought through it and did really well. To come out and be so dominant in all of the events, we really had a great showing. I was really proud of them.”

Rhinelander scored individual conference titles with Celia Francis in the 200 individual medley and 100 backstroke, June Chiamulera in the 100 freestyle and Ella Heck in the 100 breaststroke along with victories in all three relay races. The Hodags scored 22 top-three finishes in the meet, all of which earned all-conference recognition.

Sectionals

While the Hodags didn’t quite equal last year’s impressive feat of winning all 11 swimming events at sectionals, the Hodags took eight events in Menomonie and qualified 18 of their 21 entries for the state meet as they walked away with another sectional crown.

Rhinelander captured all three relays again and got sectional titles from Francis in the 200 IM and 100 backstroke, Rylee Mickevicius in the 200 freestyle and Heck in the 100 breaststroke. 

It was Rhinelander’s sixth straight sectional title, a fact not lost on the Hodag seniors.

“It’s so special because, if you think about it, we’ve gotten to jump in the pool and celebrate (a sectional title) all four years we’ve been in high school,” Ellyse Younker said. “The other kids that swim in our grade haven’t gotten to do it because we’ve been so successful. I’m really grateful that I’ve been able to have this experience with the girls. It’s just really special to me.”

State

    Rhinelander’s Celia Francis stands on the top step of the podium after winning the 200-yard individual medley at the WIAA Division 2 state girls’ swim meet in Waukesha Friday, Nov. 15. Francis defended her state championship in the event, posting a winning time of 2 minutes, 5.34 seconds. (Jeremy Mayo/River News)
  

Francis claimed Rhinelander 24th event state championship all-time at the WIAA state meet as she repeated as champion in the 200 IM. Her time of 2:05.34 was 3.8 seconds faster than her winning time in 2023 and won the event by 2.01 seconds over Stoughton’s Cheyenne Borroughs.

That was the individual highlight of the night for the Hodags, who again finished third behind Whitefish Bay and Edgewood, as they had four weeks prior at Small School State. 

Francis added a runner-up finish in the 100 backstroke despite posting the seventh-fastest time in D2 state history. She fell to Whitefish Bay freshman Maggie Dickinson, who set a new D2 state mark by 1.11 seconds. 

Vivian Lamers came home fourth in the 100 freestyle and fifth in the 50 freestyle, Ellyse Younker was fourth in the 100 butterfly, Mickevicius finished fifth in the 100 butterfly and Ella Heck took fifth in the 100 breaststroke. 

Rhinelander also was in the top three in all three relays. The Hodags fell by 0.41 seconds to Whitefish Bay in the 200 medley relay with the quartet of Francis, Heck, Younker and Lily Thorsen. Francis, Chiamulera, Younker and Lamers took second in the 400 freestyle relay while Heck, Millie Gruett, Thorsen and Lamers were third in the 200 freestyle relay.

Despite finishing third, the Hodags finished a meet-best 28 points over their projected team total and trimmed the gap to runner-up Edgewood from a projected 53-point margin to only 19 points at the end of the meet.

“This team this year has felt like family. We may not have done what we wanted to today, but we swam like a family today,” Thorsen said afterward. “Everyone was swimming for each other. I couldn’t be more proud of us for sticking together.”

What’s next

The Hodags will once again lose some depth from their lineup as they graduate Younker and Thorsen. Thorsen added a seventh-place finish in the breaststroke at state and the two were 15th and 11th, respectively in the IM. 

“Ellyse and Lily are big to lose, not just their times but because of who they are,” coach Heck said. “That’s going to be the hardest part. Lily’s been a great mentor to Ella in the breaststroke. Ellyse’s been fantastic to all of the kids. That’s not going to be easy to fill.” 

The good news is Rhinelander is slated to bring back eight swimmers with state meet experience, led by seniors-to-be Gruett and Emma Houg to go along with six juniors-to-be. 

“It’s time for other people to take the torch and those girls are going to be ready and know they’ll have an opportunity that maybe they didn’t get this year,” coach Heck said.

Jeremy Mayo may be reached at [email protected].