RHS Sports recap: Saturday, Feb. 17

Wrestling: Rhinelander at WIAA sectionals

The Rhinelander High School wrestling team will be shut out of the WIAA individual state tournament after all five of its sectional qualifiers lost Saturday in the D2 sectional in Tomahawk.

That includes senior Owen Kurtz who, for the third straight year, lost two matches at sectionals that would have punched his ticket to Madison. The 215-pounder was pinned by Rice Lake’s Easton Stone in the semifinals and then by Hayward’s Bradey Gottwald in the wrestleback for third.

Aiden Ostermann dropped both of his matches at 144. Logan Schwinger did not get a wrestle back at 190 after this first-round opponent lost in the semifinals. Rhinelander’s two girls’ wrestlers, Mya Swanson and Taylor Dahlquist were pinned in their opening matches.

Gymnastics: Rhinelander 3rd/5, GNC Meet

The Rhinelander High School gymnastics team posted a season-high score on Saturday, totaling 113.3 points in a third-place finish in the GNC Small Meet at the YMCA of the Northwoods. 

Alexis Smith was Rhinelander’s lone all-conference recipient, taking second on the vault (8.475). The Hodags had a number of finishes just outside the top three.

Karly Gillingham fas fourth on the floor exercise, fifth on the balance beam and took sixth in the individual all-around (30.025). Samantha Aschenbrenner had a no-fall beam routine that took fourth as she finished 10th in the all-around. Smith added a sixth-place finish not he floor and was ninth in the all-around. 

The Hodags will compete at WIAA D2 sectionals in Antigo this coming Friday.

Alpine skiing: RHS/NPHS snowboarding at WIAA state meet

The four snowboarders on the Rhinelander/Northland Pines Alpine Ski team competed individually on Saturday at the WIARA State Championships in La Crosse.

Northland Pines sophomore Sydney Sarkauskas had the best day of the group, taking 13th in a field of 43 boarders in the girls’ combined standings. She placed inside the top 20 in all three events at state, starting the day with a 13th-place finish in boardercross. Sarkauskas took 16th in the giant slalom and 12th in the slalom as she was the top-placing snowboarder from the Northern Conference. 

Northland Pines junior Owen Repenshek was also the top-placing Northern Conference boarder on the boys’ side, taking 14th overall in a field of 61. He recovered from a 38th-place run in boardercirss to take sixth in GN and ninth in slalom.

Rhinelander freshman Marshal Durkee was 25th on the day, highlighted by a 10th-place run in slalom. Rhinelander senior Isiah Willoughby finished 28th overall.

The state meet continues Sunday and Monday with boys’ and girls’ skiing both days.

Full reports will be published in Tuesday's River News.