RHS swimmers cruise past short-handed Lakeland

The Rhinelander High School boys’ swim team didn’t have many opponents to race Thursday night at home against Lakeland. So the Hodags used the Great Northern Conference dual as an opportunity to race against one another.

Rhinelander captured all 11 events and rolled past a small Lakeland squad 138-13 at the Heck Family Community Pool. 

Lakeland, which canceled its 2023-24 season due to the lack of a head coach and low numbers, had only three swimmers on deck on Thursday. The T-Birds even borrowed Hodag freshman Broden Wagner to field exhibition entries in two of the three relay races. 

What the T-Birds lacked in competition the Hodags made up for on their own as they went 1-2 in all 11 events. Five of those races were decided by less than three seconds as team members battled it out with one another. 

“That’s what’s so great, even if you don’t have the numbers on the other team, we’ve got a strong team and there’s always someone to race on our team. So that’s what we did tonight,” coach Jenny Heck said. “We’ll probably be doing a lot this season, racing against each other, because these are some of the fastest guys and in the state in D2. That’s a great opportunity, and they love it. They love the competition.”

The closest battle of the night came in the 100-yard butterfly as freshman Dean Gillingham rallied over the final 25 yards to edge sophomore Charlie Antonuk at the wall by 0.14 seconds. Gillingham’s winning time was 1:00.11.

“I had a look at the scoreboard to see who won, I couldn’t tell,” Heck said. “That’s what it’s all about. It’s racing and who can get to the wall first and pushing each other. It was a great time for both of them. They’re just going to be making each other better.”

Senior Shawn Denis and sophomore Judson O’Malley each recorded four wins on the night for Rhinelander. Denis captured the 200 individual medley (2:06.31) and the 100 breaststroke (1:03.94) while O’Malley took the 50 freestyle (23.92) and the 100 backstroke (1:00.85). Both were on the team’s winning 200 freestyle relay (1:33.59). Denis was part of the winning quartet in the 200 medley relay (1:42.76) while O’Malley was on the winning 400 freestyle relay team (3:33.86). 

Gillingham added another individual win in the 200 freestyle (1:59.59), Sophomore Christopher Larson captured his first individual event victory, taking the 500 freestyle (6:34.31). Senior Mathias Fugle won the 100 freestyle with a time of 49.87 in only his second meet back following a knee injury.

“I saw so many great times from the new swimmers … dropping since Tuesday or the pentathlon,” Heck said. “It’s always so fun when you see that. Then the returning swimmers just had really great times. I mean, Mathias, to pull off a 49(-second) flat start at this time of year is just fantastic, and Shawn in the breaststroke and the O’Malleys were strong, and Charlie. Just all those guys were really, really fast.”

In total the Hodags had eight swimmers play a role in at least one victory. Dolan O’Malley and Antonuk were on the wining 200 medley relay with Denis and Fugle; Samson Shinners anchored the 200 freestyle relay with Denis and the O’Malley brothers; Judson O’Malley, Gillingham, Shinners and Fugle made up the winning quartet in the 400 freestyle relay. 

Shinners added runner-up swims in the 200 IM and the 100 freestyle. In addition to the 100 butterfly, Antonuk was also second in the 50 freestyle. Fugle was second in the backstroke, freshman Daniel Meier took second in the 200 freestyle, freshman Matthew Wood was the runner-up in the 500 and senior Michael Schiek — a first-year high school swimmer — was second in the 100 breaststroke.

“They’re working hard and they’re swimming hard, so good things I think are to come,” Heck said. “These younger guys are doing well and, we have to fill in some missing pieces. So they’re all shooting for some of those positions. I think they’re going to work hard. Everyone wants to be on a relay at the end of the year or get an individual event to try to get to state.”

The Hodags’ depth has taken a hit in recent days, with Heck confirming Thursday that senior Brock Arrowood is no longer on the team as he focuses on other priorities. He competed in the season-opening D.C. Everest pentathlon Nov. 26 but was not on deck last Tuesday or Thursday during the Hodags’ home duals against Medford and Lakeland. 

Arrowood took ninth in the backstroke and 10th in the 100 butterfly at the WIAA Division 2 state meet last February and was the Hodags’ state runner-up 200 medley and 400 freestyle relay squads.

“We’re sorry that Brock isn’t continuing. He wants to focus on his work and he’s a senior and, at some point, you know, it ends for everybody and I think he was ready for that the change,” she said. “We’ll miss him and wish him all the best, but it’s going to leave some a big shoes to fill. He’s a really a fast swimmer, so these guys, we’re going to need someone, or a couple of people, to step it up.”

The Hodags (2-0 GNC) are back in action Thursday at Tomahawk and will be home this coming Saturday for the annual Hodag Relays. 

Jeremy Mayo may be reached at [email protected].