Hodags swimmers to face strong challengers in state title defense

The battle for the WIAA Division 2 girls’ swimming state championship appears to be a three-horse race going into tonight’s state meet in Waukesha — and the defending champion Rhinelander Hodags may need to go to the whip entering the final furlong.

Walking away with either trophy, let alone the gold one, will be a tall task for Rhinelander. Though the 18 entries the Hodags are sending to Waukesha are the third-most in the state, they trail behind the two other teams who figure to be in the state title race tonight — Whitefish Bay and Madison Edgewood — who qualified all 21 of their entries. 

In fact, both teams have moved in front of Rhinelander in the state projections following last Saturday’s sectional meets. Whitefish Bay enters as the prohibitive favorite, seeded first in eight of the 12 events and projected to score 373 points. Edgewood is nearly 100 points behind at 276 and the Hodags sit third in the projections at 223.

Coach Jenny Heck admitted Monday at practice that the Hodags have a mountain to climb if they want to leave Waukesha tonight as either the state champion or runner-up for the fourth time in five years. 

“We definitely are going to be playing catch-up but these girls have more in their tank,” she said. “I know they do. We’re just going to get as much as we can. We’re going to drop what we can, move up in places. Like every year, you can’t control what the other people are going to do. You can only try to move up yourself, do the best race you can and not focus on other people.”

Regardless of how things shake out in the team standings, the Hodags are trying to get on the podium in multiple events. The Hodags have six entries seeded inside the top six in the state, and five others inside the top 10. 

“We’re going to take it as far as we can go and if a group can make some surprises, it would be this group. They want to. They’re dedicated and they’re motivated,” coach Heck said.

It’s that dedication and motivation that has the squad eager to show the state that the Hodags are still one of the best D2 programs in the state despite graduating two seniors off of last year’s squad — Karis Francis and Abi Winnicki — who landed at Division I college programs. 

“I’m excited to see what we can do at state and show everyone that’s not sitting on this bench with me right now how many hours go into this,” senior Lily Thorsen said Monday as she her fellow state qualifying teammates sat down for a conversation with the River News. “What they see is the outcome and I want that outcome to reflect how much work we’ve all put in.”

Here are five storylines going into the meet

Relay fights

Rhinelander is best positioned in the relays. After sweeping the state title in all three relay races last year, the Hodags enter as the second-fastest qualifier in both the 200 medley and 400 freestyle relays and third in the 200 freestyle relay.

Not only do relays score double points, but those races figure to be the biggest head-to-head showdowns of the night between the projected top three teams, who are seeded 1-2-3 in all three events. Whitefish Bay enters as the top seed in all three races, while Edgewood is seeded third in the 200 medley and 400 freestyle relays, and second in the 200 freestyle relay.

“We’re in great position with our relays. There are other fast teams besides Edgewood and Whitefish Bay,” coach Heck said. “We always have to look around. Everyone’s looking to make their move and get their best times of the season there. Anyone in that last heat, and sometimes in the first heat, are just going to make some big jumps.” 

Competition for Celia

Sophomore Celia Francis enters as the defending D2 state champion in the 200 individual medley and was last year’s state runner-up in the 100 backstroke. She’s back in both of those events this year and figures to be fighting at or near the front again. 

She’s got some stiff competition in both races this time around. She’s seeded second in the 200 IM at 2:09.25, roughly two thirds of a second behind top-seeded Cheyenne Borroughs of Stoughton. Francis is also seeded second in the backstroke, where she’ll have her hands full with top-seeded Maggie Dickinson of Whitefish Bay. While Francis went faster at sectionals (56.26) than she did at sectionals last year, Dickinson went nearly a second and a half faster last Saturday to snatch the No. 1 seed. 

“I’m usually with Maggie on the first 50 or so. It will definitely be a fun race. I’m more going for a personal best for myself,” Francis said. 

“Celia’s, she’s been swimming fast,” coach Heck added. “She knows that she needs to stick with her own plan. She’s moving right along where she should be and I think she’s going to keep doing exactly what she’s meant to do, and that’s swim her own race.” 

Last timers

    Rhinelander’s Ellyse Younker competes in the 100-yard butterfly during a WIAA Division 2 sectional meet in Menomonie Saturday, Nov. 9. Younker is looking for a top-six finish and a spot on the podium at tonight’s state meet in Waukesha after placing seventh in the event last year. (Jeremy Mayo/River News)
  

For two members of the squad, tonight will mark the final time that they don a Rhinelander High School swim cap. Both Lily Thorsen and Ellyse Younker look to go out in style. Not only are both slated to compete in two relays for Rhinelander, they have individual podium aspirations. 

“I don’t think it’s hit me that it’s going to be my last race,” Younker said. “I don’t think it will hit for a while, actually. I’m just really excited to go into Friday swimming with these girls. I just want to make it one last time with them and make it amazing.” 

Thorsen comes in as the No. 8 qualifier in the state in the 100 breaststroke (1:09.23), but is less than four tenths of a second behind sixth-seeded Reese Dickman of Wittenberg-Birnamwood. She also comes in ninth in the 200 individual medley. Younker, meanwhile, qualified eighth in the 100 butterfly, after finishing seventh in that event last year, and is seeded 11th in the 200 IM. 

“That would just be a dream to get those two on the podium,” coach Heck said. “For them, personally, but for the team as well. You always want to see these seniors go out with a bang on their last meet. 

Both Younker and Thorsen have been on the podium before in relay events, but never as individuals.

“Being able to get my feet on any spot on that podium would be an honor,” Thorsen said. “To do it my senior year would just prove things to myself, but I also want to represent this team the best I can. We’re following some seniors who lived on that podium. To just get on that podium and share a piece of that legacy they build would be amazing.”

First timers

On the other end of the spectrum, tonight’s meet will mark the state debut for two sophomores who weren’t able to make it last year — Rylee Mickevicius and Kiley Pooch.

Mickevicius did not even scratch the Hodags’ sectional roster last year because of the limited number of entries the WIAA affords teams for the postseason. This year, not only was she on the sectional roster, but was an individual sectional champion in the 200 freestyle. Though she was third at sectionals in the 100 butterfly, that was good enough to put her 10th overall and in the state field for that event.

“It didn’t really hit me on Saturday. I didn’t really believe it that I had actually made it,” Mickevicius said.

Pooch, meanwhile, experienced the anguish of being on the wrong side of the state cutline last year when she missed the field by 0.17 seconds in the 100 backstroke. Pooch went nearly two seconds faster at sectionals this year, and needed almost every bit of that time drop as she qualified 13th and finished only 0.27 seconds faster than this year’s cut.

“Last year I was a little let down that I was just outside. This year, I’m really excited that I’ve made it in,” she said. “I’m excited just to all see us swim fast times. I know I’m excited to have my first time swimming at the state meet.” 

Meet info

In addition to those listed above, Rhinelander will have Emma Houg in the 200 individual medley, Ella Heck in the 100 breaststroke and 50 freestyle, Vivian Lamers in the 50 freestyle and 100 freestyle and Millie Gruett in the 100 butterfly. Additionally, June Chiamulera qualified for state as part of Rhinelander’s 400 freestyle relay squad. (CLICK HERE for a closer look at each event in tonight’s state meet.) 

The swimming portion of the D2 state meet gets underway at 5:30 p.m. at the Waukesha South High School Natatorium. For those going to Waukesha, tickets are $9 per person and must be purchased in advance online at https://www.wiaawi.org/Tickets. Additionally, parking at Waukesha South High School is $5 per vehicle, payable in cash on site. 

Live streaming of the state meet will be available on the WIAA.TV portal of the NFHS Network on a subscription basis.

Jeremy Mayo may be reached at [email protected].