Hodag swimmers expect to be pushed at sectionals

The Rhinelander High School boys’ swim team is still the favorite going into tomorrow’s WIAA Division 2 sectional meet but the defending state champions will have a target on their back and a sixth straight sectional title is far from a sure thing.

The Hodags are projected as 33-point favorites over host Ashwaubenon going into tomorrow’s meet. Those projections were calculated by the River News based on sectional psych sheet data released by the WIAA on Tuesday. 

More importantly, the Hodags have work to do as they begin their quest to bring home a second straight trophy — either gold or silver — from the D2 state meet next Friday night in Waukesha. As it stands, the Hodags are projected to qualify 16 of their 21 sectional entries and sit third in a mock state meet.

“With guys who didn’t swim last year or switched from D1 to D2, it’s going to be a faster meet and just more competition,” Hodag coach Jenny Heck said. “But we kind of expected that going in. It was just trying to figure out where everyone was going to place best.”

Sixteen swimmers in each event will move on to next week in Waukesha — the champion in each of the four D2 sectionals held around the state tomorrow, plus the next 12 fastest performances statewide. Rhinelander is projected to have at least one qualifier in every event, except the 500-yard freestyle in which the Hodags have no entries.

SECTIONAL PROJECTIONS

    Above are Rhinelander High School entries and where they stack up within the sectional and across the state, based on sectional psych sheets released Tuesday by the WIAA. The four sectional champions and the next 12 fastest times statewide in each event qualify for the WIAA D2 state meet in Waukesha. (River News graphic) 

The Hodags are in a spot to earn the automatic berth in six events tomorrow — favored to win all three relays plus three individual events. Rhinelander has the top seed in the sectional, and the second-best time statewide, in the 200 freestyle relay. The Hodags are fourth fastest in the state in both the 200 medley and 400 freestyle relays.

Senior Zacha King, the state runner-up in the 100 backstroke last February, is seeded second overall in that event this year. He’ll be chasing a new frontrunner though, as defending state champ Lyon Hall of McFarland opted to swim the 100 and 200 freestyle while McFarland freshman Blake TeBeest projects as the overall favorite. TeBeest swam to a two-plus second victory over Hall and King in the 100 backstroke at the Small School State Invite at Shorewood back on Jan. 27.

Junior Samson Shinners enters as the top seed in the sectional, and seventh overall in the 200-yard freestyle while junior Brock Arrowood comes in as the sectional favorite in the 100 butterfly, seeded ninth overall. 

The Hodags have eight other entries that, while not projected to win on Saturday, currently sit comfortably inside the top 16 overall, with seed times faster than the state qualifying standard in their event from 2023.

Junior Mathias Fugle leads that list. He comes in as the No. 2 seed in the sectional behind River Falls junior Daniel Carns in both the 50 and 100 freestyle, but his times are sixth-best in the state in both events. Shinners sits eighth overall in the state in the 100, Shawn Denis is eighth in the 100 breaststroke and 11th in the 200 individual medley, Arrowood is ninth in the 100 backstroke, Dolan O’Malley is 11th in the 100 backstroke, and King is 12th in the 200 individual medley. 

Brothers Dolan and Judson O’Malley find themselves closet to the bubble. Dolan O’Malley has the 14th fastest time in the 200 IM, but that’s effectively 15th as the projected champion of the Plymouth sectional — Chilton’s Bryce Hedtke — comes in with a time outside the top 16 overall. Judson O’Malley finds himself seeded 15th overall in the 100 backstroke, 0.20 seconds ahead of the current No. 16 swimmer.

The Hodags have five entries projected outside the top 16. Judson O’Malley is the closest of those five, projected 23rd in the 100 butterfly, 1.64 seconds behind 16th.

“We have nine guys and we didn’t have a lot of options as far as what we could do but, for the events they’re in, they’re going to go after it,” Heck said. “They’re excited and I think they have some great drops in them ahead. They’ve been working really hard. Now, it’s just a matter of getting the job done. 

“That’s always the goal, to advance as far as you can and to shine at the right time. We’re going to keep it all going. They’re looking great. They’re excited to be starting to rest and have a better vision of the taper.”

As for the sectional, it all adds up to 386 projected points for the Hodags. Ashwaubenon is well within striking distance at 353 points. The Jaguars could even jump into the lead of the meet after the 500 freestyle, where they have the top four swimmers in the sectional and would outscore Rhinelander 68-0 if those projections hold. 

Rhinelander is slated to recoup virtually all of those points in the backstroke, where they are seeded first, second, third, fifth and 16th and are projected to outscore the Jaguars 69-7.

“They played it right and have some strong 500 guys. That’s great for them. But I think we’re tough. We’re strong. There’s a lot of possibilities for us to move up with some of our newer swimmers,” Heck said. “I think we’re in a great positions. Some events are a little bit better than others, but they’re very excited.”

River Falls, back in Division 2 after swimming up in D1 last year, is projected to finish third, 97 points behind the Hodags.

As far as the state projections look, Rhinelander is currently positioned third behind McFarland and Whitefish Bay. That mirrors the finishing order for the three teams at Small School State last month. 

Keen observers may note that Rhinelander was also projected third in the state entering sectionals last year and wound up winning the state title. Repeating that feat appears to be a far more difficult task this time around. McFarland is currently seeded No. 1 overall in seven events and opens as a 122-point favorite over Whitefish Bay for the state title. The Hodags sit 15 points behind Whitefish Bay.

“It’s going to be a battle. McFarland’s going to kind of be in a league of their own. After that it’s going to be a battle, I think, for second place. Hopefully everything comes together for us and we’re in that battle,” Heck said.

Sectionals get underway at 1 p.m. Saturday in the Ashwaubenon High School natatorium.

Jeremy Mayo may be reached at [email protected].