Hodag swimmers sweep Medford in GNC opener

The Rhinelander High School boys’ swim team cruised in its first Great Northern Conference dual meet of the season.

Rhinelander won all 11 events, finishing 1-2 in 10 of those races, to defeat Medford 134-31 in the Hodags’ home opener at the Heck Family Community Pool.

Senior Samson Shinners and sophomore Judson O’Malley were both four-event winners for the Hodags on Tuesday as they began their quest for a seventh straight conference title in convincing fashion. 

“I think it got me excited for the season and I hope I got them excited, too,” Hodag coach Jenny Heck said. 

Shinners and Judson O’Malley both claimed multiple individual events for Rhinelander. Shinners swept the distance freestyle races, claiming both the 200 (1 minute, 51.96 seconds) and the 500 (5:14.73) while Judson O’Malley had close individual races with fellow sophomore Charlie Antonuk in two events. O’Malley edged Antonuk for the win by 0.23 seconds in the 200 individual medley (2:18.16), and by 1.54 seconds in the 100 freestyle (54.05).

“Samson had a fantastic 200 and 500, just once again, lit it up,” Heck said. “He was really strong to end the last 150 of the 500. He’s trying to swim it a little more relaxed and I think that was good. So he swam really well. 

“Judson wasn’t able to swim any breaststroke at all last year and did a fantastic IM. So it was fun to see him in some roles that he hasn’t been into and he and Charlie are racing and pushing each other to be better. That’s going to be fantastic for end of season.”

Senior Mathias Fugle, in his first race of the season, swam to the win in the 50-yard freestyle (22.73). He posted a 21.78-second split in the freestyle leg of the 200 medley relay and added a sub-50 seconds split later in the evening in the 400 free relay despite coming in off a knee injury that cost him the final few games of the football season. 

“I was like, ‘Wait, what? Look, did you just really do that,” she said following Fugle’s split in the medley relay. “And he came out and he said, ‘yeah,’ all confident and matter of fact. It was really, really awesome.”

Senior Shawn Denis claimed the 100-yard butterfly (56.40) as part of an unusual program from him. To pay of his end of a bargain to get his younger brother, Paul, to join the team, Denis swam butterfly for all 200 yards of the 200 freestyle. He still managed a runner-up finish in the event (2:10.39), holding off Medford’s Logan Rouiller by roughly two seconds for second. 

“I think he thought it was a it was a nice challenge and a fun thing to do and I was really proud of him for doing that,” Heck said. 

    Rhinelander’s Dean Gillingham competes in the 100-yard breaststroke during a GNC boys’ swim dual meet against Medford at the Heck Family Community Pool Tuesday, Dec. 3. (Bob Mainhardt for the River News)
  

Dolan O’Malley added a win for the Hodags in the 100 backstroke (57.25) and freshman Dean Gillingham took the 100 breaststroke (1:06.75). 

Rhinelander took all three relays. Dolan O’Malley, Gillingham, Judson O’Malley and Fugle made up the winning quartet in the 200 medley (1:43.40); Shawn Denis, Antonuk, Judson O’Malley and Shinners won the 200 freestyle relay (1:34.56) and Shawn Denis, Fugle, Antonuk and Shinners won the 400 freestyle relay (3:30.91). 

Heck said she was impressed by a number of the performances — which were as fast or faster than the team had at the beginning of last season. 

“I didn’t anticipate that,” she said. “You know, we’re lifting we working hard and, you just never know. But I think the excitement helped, and the adrenaline with the first meet. So we’ll try to keep that going.”

Runner-up finishes for Rhinelander included Dolan O’Malley in the 50 freestyle, Fugle in the 100 butterfly, Gillingham in the 500, Chris Larson in the 100 backstroke and freshman Broden Wagner in the 100 breaststroke. Paul Denis, Larson, Wagner and Michael Schiek made up the runner-up quarter in the 200 freestyle relay while Dolan O’Malley, Matthew Wood, Daniel Meier and Gillingham took second in the 400 freestyle relay. 

Rhinelander (1-0), hosted Lakeland Thursday in a GNC dual meet that concluded after deadline. The Hodags are back in action this coming Thursday at Tomahawk. 

Jeremy Mayo may be reached at [email protected].