RHS girls’ swim team hands out year-end awards

All 14 members of the Rhinelander High School girls’ swim team walked away with one of the seven awards presented by the squad during the team’s season-ending banquet Monday at the Cedric A. Vig Outdoor Classroom.

Sophomore Celia Francis, the two-time WIAA Division 2 state champion in the 200-yard individual medley, highlighted the list, earning the team’s High Point Award. It was an objectively-based honor, presented to the swimmer who scored the most points for the Hodags during the 2024 season. 

Francis had a decorated year, winning both the 200 IM and the 100 backstroke at the Great Northern Conference meet and WIAA sectionals. She followed that up with a 3.8-seconds time drop from 2023 as she repeated as the state champ in the IM. Francis also took second in the 100 backstroke at state for the second year in the row. She posted the seventh-fastest time in D2 state history (55.39) as she was beat out by new D2 state record holder Maggie Dickinson of Whitefish Bay. Additionally, Francis was on Rhinelander’s state runner-up squads in the 200 medley and 400 freestyle relays.

“Celia just is a fantastic swimmer, had a lot of success all year. You could put her in lots of events and she’d be really successful,” coach Jenny Heck said during Monday night’s banquet. “I’m not only impressed with Celia as a swimmer, but her dedication and her work. I love that she’s very in tune to what she does. She knows what she needs to work on and is very aware of her won races and what she needs to do. She’s been a great model for all of our swimmers.”

The other six awards were shared by multiple swimmers, starting with the leadership award, which went to the two seniors on the squad — Ellyse Younker and Lily Thorsen. 

Both had strong seasons in the water for Rhinelander, finishing on runner-up relays at state. Younker came home fourth in the 100 butterfly at state while Thorsen was seventh in the 100 breaststroke. Beyond that, coach Heck said the two co-captains stepped into and flourished in leadership roles this season. 

“They were just great, amazing leaders,” she said. “I don’t think I could have asked for better. These two were so amazing in the pool, out of the pool, reminding me of things I forgot, taking care of things, running to get things for senior night, for parents night. These girls were on it and they enjoyed it and had fun with it. They were great with the new swimmers and the returning swimmers.”

Two sophomores, Rylee Mickevicius and Ella Heck, shared the team’s Most Improved Swimmer Award following breakout 2024 campaigns that ended on the podium in Waukesha. Ella Heck went from finishing last in the field of 16 at state in the 100 breaststroke as a freshman to taking fifth in that event this year, less than three quarters of a second out of second. Mickevicius went from not making the sectional roster for the Hodags last year to qualifying for state in two individual events, placing fifth in the 100 butterfly and 12th in the 200 freestyle.

“These two had really great breakout seasons that were really invaluable to our team. I’m really pleased with both of them,” coach Heck said. “I’m really proud of these two and looking forward to what they do as upperclassmen next year.”

Juniors Emma Houg and Millie Gruett earned the “Hodags with Heart” Award. Coach Heck called the two, “such an awesome bridge in connecting our team between the younger classes and our seniors.” Both qualified for state individually this year. Houg was 14th in the 200 IM while Gruett took 13th in the 100 butterfly and was on the third-place squad in the 200 freestyle relay. 

Sophomores Vivian Lamers, Kiley Pooch and June Chiamulera shared the Determination Award, with coach Heck noting how each battled through adversity during the year. She noted how Lamers battled all season and came through with significant time drops in both the 50 and 100 freestyle at state that landed Lamers in the top five of both events. She lauded for Chiamulera for bouncing back after failing to qualify individually for state, with a season-best split in the 400-freestyle relay that helped the Hodags to a runner-up finish in that event in Waukesha and commended Pooch for her efforts to qualify for state this year in the 100 backstroke after narrowly missing out last year as a freshman. 

Sophomore Kyree McMahon, who transferred into the district this year from Wisconsin Rapids, shared the Hodag Rookie award with freshman Maria Craig. Freshmen Jordyn Kecker and Kyleigh Kennedy shared the team’s Hodag Strong Award. 

The Hodags won their sixth consecutive GNC and WIAA D2 sectional championships this season and finished third in the D2 state meet after winning it all in 2023. It marked the sixth straight year that the Hodags placed in the top five overall at state.  

Jeremy Mayo may be reached at [email protected].