Sectional six-peat

MENOMONIE — The Rhinelander High School girls’ swim team has cemented itself as the best team in the northern half of the state yet again, though trying to maintain the title of overall state champion will be a difficult task later this week. 

The Hodags won seven events Saturday and advanced 18 of their 21 entries through to the WIAA Division 2 state meet as they rolled to their sixth consecutive D2 sectional title in Menomonie.

It wasn’t a perfect day for the Hodags, who went in projected to win eight events and send all 21 of their entries through. Regardless, the Hodags will still have a very strong contingent in Waukesha this Friday night. 

“It wasn’t easy and it’s never perfect. Sometimes it’s a little smoother than others, but each girl fought their hardest and did their best,” Hodag coach Jenny Heck said afterward. “At the end you just hope you get as many of the entries through as we can. We did what we could do.”

The state meet will be the top priority for this week, as Rhinelander will likely have to play catch-up against perennial southern powers Whitefish Bay and Madison Edgewood. Saturday was about celebrating the success this year’s team has had, and the success the Hodags have had in the northern half of the state over the last six years. 

“It’s so special because, if you think about it, we’ve gotten to jump in the pool and celebrate (a sectional title) all four years we’ve been in high school,” Hodag senior Ellyse Younker said. “The other kids that swim in our grade haven’t gotten to do it because we’ve been so successful. I’m really grateful that I’ve been able to have this experience with the girls. It’s just really special to me.”

    Rhinelander’s Celia Francis swims the butterfly leg of the 200-yard individual medley during a WIAA Division 2 sectional meet in Menomonie Saturday, Nov. 9. Francis was a four-event winner for the Hodags on Saturday. (Bob Mainhardt for the River News)
  

Celia Francis was a four-event winner for the Hodags on Saturday. She won the 200-yard individual medley and the 100 backstroke and was also part of the Hodags’ winning 200 medley and 400 freestyle relay teams. Two other sophomores earned automatic berths as Rylee Mickevicius took the 200 freestyle and Ella Heck won the 100 breaststroke. Rhinelander also claimed the 200 freestyle relay.

Rhinelander got an additional 11 at-large entries through by posting one of the 16 fastest times in the state in a respective event. All 10 Hodags who swam at sectionals qualified for state in at least one individual or relay race. 

“I was really pleased with them. I thought we were in a good place,” Heck said. “It’s that happy medium of trying to get in but having something left in the tank for next week. Hopefully we got enough to them through and have a good meet on Friday.”

Francis and the relays will have the best shot of making noise at state. Francis bettered her seed times in both of her individual events, taking the IM in a time of 2 minutes, 9.25 seconds — only 0.11 seconds slow than her state championship-winning time from a season ago. She then went 56.26 in the backstroke. Both of those performances were the second-best in the state on Saturday.

“It’s a stepping stone for her and she chipped away at those times even more. That’s a great spot for her to be in,” coach Heck said.

Rhinelander won two of the three relays with ease. The squad of Francis, Ella Heck, Younker and Lily Thorsen won the 200 medley relay (1:48.70). Francis, June Chiamulera, Younker and Vivian Lamers were victorious the 400 freestyle relay (3:44.93). Both times were second-fastest in the state. 

“That was an amazing way to start the meet out,” Thorsen said of the meet-opening win in the 200 medley relay. “We were all so excited and to one, win and two, get that pool record to start the meet. I couldn’t have asked for a better start to my races.”

    Rhinelander’s Vivian Lamers looks toward the scoreboard after edging Wittenberg-Birnamwood’s Reese Dickman to the wall for the win in the 200-yard freestyle relay during a WIAA Division 2 sectional meet in Menomonie Saturday, Nov. 9. (Jeremy Mayo/River News)
  

Things were much more interesting in the 200 freestyle relay. Though the squad of Heck, Millie Gruett, Thorsen and Lamers won that event and posted the third-fastest time in the state (1:40.58), they were pushed by Wittenberg-Birnamwood, which led for the majority of the first 150 yards. Thorsen closed the gap and gave Lamers a slight lead going into the anchor leg. Lamers held off Charger junior Reese Dickman for the win by 0.11 seconds.

“That was a great race and Vivian was a beast at the end, to get the win at the end,” coach Heck said. “I was very proud of her. When it comes down to it, she always finds that extra 10%. That was a great finish for her and the team. I knew it was going to be closer than it looked on paper, but I didn’t think it was going to be that close. That was probably the race of the day.”

Mickevicius, who did not qualify for any events last year for Rhinelander as a freshman, will have two this time around. She cruised in the 200 freestyle (2:01.85), winning that event by more than five seconds and also earned an at-large bid in the 100 butterfly with a third-place finish (1:01.18).

“Rylee, we were waiting for that from her,” coach Heck said. “She’s been waiting for her opportunity and she took advantage of it, did well and made those drops. That’s what you need to do at this meet to get in.”

Ella Heck went from the last swimmer to make the field in the 100 breaststroke last year to a sectional champion and the fifth-fastest qualifier this year. She finished at 1:08.08 and held off Dickman by 0.78 seconds. Heck also snuck into the state field in the 50 freestyle, where she finished fifth in the sectional (25.48) and made the state cut by 0.05 seconds. 

Both seniors and co-captains — Younker and Thorsen — earned at-large berths in both of their events. Thorsen finished third in both the 200 IM (2:16.62) and the 100 breaststroke (1:09.23) at sectionals to make in to state comfortably in both events. Younker was the runner-up in the butterfly (1:00.28) and took fourth in the IM (2:18.32). 

Lamers made it individually in both sprint freestyle events. She finished fourth in the 50 freestyle (25.26) and was the runner-up in the 100 freestyle (55.57), finishing well inside the cutline in both events.

The other at-large berths for Rhinelander went to Emma Houg in the 200 IM (fifth, 2:18.32), Gruett in the 100 butterfly (fourth, 1:01.72) and Kiley Pooch in the 100 backstroke (fifth, 1:01.05). Pooch, who was one of the first swimmers out in the backstroke last year, had the closest call of the group. She finished 0.27 seconds faster than the cutline — which dropped from a 1:02.68 last year to a 1:01.32 this year. 

That faster cutline caught out Houg, who tied for sixth in the backstroke (1:02.52) but did not advance. Chiamulera added time in both of her events, missing out in the 200 freestyle by 0.72 seconds and by 0.93 seconds in the 100 freestyle. 

“I’m proud of how each and every one of the girls swam today,” Thorsen said. “Everyone swam their heart out, you could tell. Regardless of what those state standings say, everyone gave all they could give and we couldn’t ask for more as captains or as teammates.”

The 18 entries to state are the third-most in this year’s Division 2, behind Whitefish Bay and Madison Edgewood. The Blue Dukes and the Crusaders both managed to get all 21 of their entries to Waukesha and will likely be the two teams Rhinelander will be chasing for the gold and silver trophies come Friday. 

Coach Heck wasn’t quite ready to crunch those numbers after Saturday’s sectional meet, as the team celebrated yet another sectional title.

“It’s something you really do need to stop and think about and celebrate … We’re really proud of each other and the team and we’re going to celebrate tonight,” she said. 

Jeremy Mayo may be reached at [email protected].