Hodag swimmers trounce Shawano, move to 4-0 in GNC

A battle between the two remaining unbeatens in the Great Northern Conference turned into another romp for the Rhinelander High School boys’ swim team on Tuesday. 

The Hodags won all 11 events and rolled past Shawano/Seymour 133-34 at the Heck Family Community Pool. Rhinelander moved to 4-0 on the year with the victory.

Rhinelander, which has been the class of the GNC for six straight years, gave itself the inside track for a seventh straight conference title on Friday. As has been the case during most of the Rhinelander’s dual meets this season, the strongest competition came from within its own squad. 

“Sometimes you have the competition and sometimes you don’t,” Hodag coach Jenny Heck said. “Sometimes you have to make those goals more individual and I think the guys have been really doing great job at that this year. And you know we came out with lots of success.”

Seniors Shawn Denis and Dolan O’Malley were each four-event winners for Rhinelander. O’Malley won the 200-yard individual medley (2 minutes, 11.10 seconds), leading a Hodag sweep of the top three in that event while Denis edged teammate Samson Shinners by roughly a second for the win in the 50 freestyle (22.65). Both swimmers were also on all three of Rhinelander’s winning relays. 

    Rhinelander’s Mathias Fugle competes in the 200-yard freestyle during a GNC boys’ swim dual against Shawano/Seymour at the Heck Family Community Pool Tuesday, Dec. 17. The Hodags won all 11 events as the defeated the previously unbeaten Hawks, 133-34. (Bob Mainhardt for the River News)
  

Judson O’Malley claimed the 100 butterfly (59.77) and the 100 backstroke (59.90) for Rhinelander while senior Mathias Fugle claimed the 200 freestyle (1:56.58) and the 100 freestyle (50.24). Dean Gillingham added a win in the 500 freestyle (5:22.53) and Charlie Antonuk claimed the 100 breaststroke (1:13.46). 

Shawano freshman Jonah Kuba played a role in all three of the Hawks’ runner-up finishes on the night. He took second in the 200 and 500 freestyle and was part of Shawano’s runner-up squad in the 200 freestyle relay.

“Shawano has a good 500 guy and Dean Gillingham swam a fantastic 500 and really took charge of that. That made him faster as well so that was a great event,” Heck said. “Judson O’Malley really did fantastic tonight. He broke a minute in both his fly and his back, which is great for this time of year for him. Our newer swimmers were really taking off lots of time from their seed times, and Broden Wagner got his automatic lettering time in 100 free.”

The Hodags swept all three relays. Dolan O’Malley, Gillingham, Shawn Denis and Judson O’Malley claimed the 200 medley relay (1:45.63). Shawn Denis, Shinners, Dolan O’Malley and Fugle were roughly 2 seconds off the pool record in the 200 freestyle relay (1:31.66).

The team of Gillingham, Dolan O’Malley, Shawn Denis and Antonuk won the closest race of the night in the 400 free relay (3:39.55) as Antonuk held off a hard-charging Fugle by 0.84 seconds at the wall.

“We tried to race some of the relays,” Heck said. “It kind of gets the guys swimming faster trying to catch up a little bit, like in the 400 free relay. That was kind of fun to watch. I think if Bubba (Fugle) would’ve had another 5 yards he would’ve caught Charlie Antonuk, but didn’t have enough pool space.”

Shinners was the runner up in both the 50 and 100 freestyle, Antonuk took second in the 200 IM, Christopher Larson took second in the 100 butterfly, Gillingham was second in the 100 backstroke and Michael Schiek took second in the 100 breaststroke. 

Larson, Paul Denis, Daniel Meyer and Schiek made up the runner-up quartet in the 200 medley relay. Meier, Judson O’Malley, Shinners and Fugle were the runners up in the 400 freestyle relay.

Thursday’s meet at Antigo was postponed due to a snow.  A make-up date had not been immediately annouced. The Hodags will take part in three conference double duals, which do not count in the standings, after the new year. The first of those will take place Jan. 7 in Medford, where the Hodags will also see Shawano again.

In the interim, the Hodags are entering the period of its most intense training of the season, which takes place over the holiday break.

“That’s what the next couple weeks really are going to be for us, a lot of training,” Heck said. “This is the kind of the heart of the season where we had to get a lot of the great done and. And just get ready for the end of season will be here before we know it.”

Jeremy Mayo may be reached at [email protected].