The field for tonight’s state swim meet

Rhinelander’s quest for back-to-back WIAA Division 2 state girls’ swim titles — and what would be the Hodags’ third championship in the last five years — appears to be a long shot going into tonight’s state championship meet in Waukesha. 

     

Whitefish Bay, which finished a distant second behind the Hodags last year, enters as the top seed in eight of tonight’s 12 events and has a projected score of 373 points. Madison Edgewood, which had won eight straight state championship — including an alternate season title in 2020-21 when it opted out of the traditional fall season due to the COVID-19 pandemic — is looking to get back to collecting trophies after settling for third last year. The Crusaders are projected second tonight, 97 points behind Whitefish Bay. 

The Hodags are another 53 points back in the projections, which were tabulated based on how everyone qualified for tonight’s meet. Rhinelander will also have the disadvantage of three fewer entries than the Blue Dukes or the Crusaders, who both managed to get all 21 of their sectional entries thought to the state meet. 

“I think going into Friday we’re just really excited to all swim together,” Hodag senior Ellyse Younker said. “We’ve all got a really tight bond on the team. It’s bene a really good season and we’re excited to finish it off at state, see what we can do.”

It appears unlikely that the Hodags would fall below third. Kohler, with only 11 entries, is projected fourth at 148 points.

Here’s a closer look at each event tonight, where Rhinelander is seeded and how it may impact the state title race.

Diving — The Hodags, who do not have a diving program, will enter tonight already in a hole to the two teams they are chasing. Whitefish Bay’s Annika Leinweber enters as the third-seeded diver in the field, after placing eighth at state last year, while Maddie Smith qualified eighth. Edgewood’s Olivia Walker enters as the sixth-best qualifier after sectionals. Whitnall seniors Chelsea McDowell and Rianna Dobbie enter as the top two qualifiers in the event after finishing 1-2 at state last year. Dobbie is the defending state champ, but McDowell enters as the top qualifier. 

200 Medley Relay — Rhinelander enters as the defending state champ in this event, and returns three of the four swimmers from that relay. Sophomore Ella Heck replaces Karis Francis in the breaststroke and, despite Heck being seeded fifth in the 100 breaststroke later in the evening, the Hodags (1:48.70) managed only the second-fastest qualifying time behind Whitefish Bay (1:47.32). The Blue Dukes upgraded with freshman Maggie Dickinson, the top seed in the 100 backstroke, leading off that relay. They return two swimmers from last year’s runner-up relay in breaststroker Kate Antonelli and butterflier Aibhy King. Edgewood posted the third-best qualifying time (1:50.56) in the field.

200 Freestyle — Whitefish Bay junior Anne Dickinson is poised to have a big night in the distance freestyle races, beginning in the 200 free. She was the runner-up in this event last year and enters as the top qualifier (1:51.32), nearly five seconds ahead of second-place qualifier Erin Schuch of Ashwaubenon. Freshman Vivian Utschig adds to Whitefish Bay’s depth as the fifth-fastest qualifier. The battle appears to be in Heat 1 where Rhinelander’s Rylee Mickevicius, who won the Menomonie sectional championship, will go head-to-head with Edgewood’s Elbie Thompson and Maggie Onopa, who are seeded ninth and 10th to 12th for Mickevicius. “For the 200 free, I’m hoping to beat Edgewood girls that are seeded right above me,” Mickevicius said.

    Rhinelander’s Celia Francis leads teammate Lily Thorsen in the breaststroke leg of the 200-yard individual medley during a WIAA Division 2 sectional meet in Menomonie Saturday, Nov. 9. Francis, a sophomore, enters tonight’s state meet in Waukesha as the second-fastest qualifier in both the IM and the 100 backstroke, and is the defending state champion in the IM. (Jeremy Mayo/River News)
  

200 Individual Medley — Rhinelander’s Celia Francis is the reigning state champion, but will likely see a strong challenge in this event from Stoughton junior Cheyenne Burroughs, who enters with the top qualifying time at 2:08.57. Francis went 2:09.14 last year to beat out Jefferson’s Zoey Rank by 0.03 seconds for the win, and nearly matched that time with a 2:09.25 performance at sectionals. “I think I definitely have a chance in the IM,” Francis said. “It will be fun to race somebody seeded at a very close time as me. I definitely have more peace of mind not going in first because I can move up. That’s encouraging.” Francis will also have to hold off Edgewood sophomore Grace Charles, who was third in this event last year and enters with the third-best qualifying time (2:10.49). Edgewood also has the fifth-fastest qualifier in Sylvia Thompson while sophomore Cassidy Shanks, a Shorewood transfer, is Whitefish Bay’s top hope, seeded seventh. The Hodags will look to add points from the first heat as Lily Thorsen, Ellyse Younker and Emma Houg are seeded ninth, 11th and 12th, respectively.

50 Freestyle — Maggie Dickinson is the overwhelming favorite here as the Whitefish Bay freshman’s qualifying time of 23.74 seconds was 0.73 seconds faster than Greendale’s Katelyn Anderson. Edgewood has two qualifiers in the event, Jenna Kohl (fifth, 24.88) and Addyson Sippe (ninth, 25.11). Rhinelander will be looking for a big time drop from sophomore Vivian Lamers, who finished third in this event last year but only had the 13th-fastest qualifying time this season (25.26). Ella Heck is seeded 15th (25.48) for Rhinelander. 

100 Butterfly — This is another event that favors Whitefish Bay. King enters as the top seed (55.41), 1.8 seconds ahead of Greendale’s Anderson. She’s one of three Blue Dukes in the field, along with freshman Ania Kurowski (fifth, 59.58) and senior Lauren Toll (11th, 1:01.55). The Hodags have three in this race as well, led by Younker. She just missed the podium with a seventh-place finish last year and has the eighth-best qualifying time (1:00.28) this time around. Mickevicius qualified 10th (1:01.18) and junior Millie Gruett qualified 12th (1:01.72). Edgewood has only one qualifier here, Jane Jensen in 13th (1:01.75).

100 Freestyle — Hannah Tubbs of Black River Falls enters as the top seed here (53.14), but Whitefish Bay has two of the top four qualifiers with Utschig in second (53.87) and Shanks in fourth (54.64). Edgewood also has two swimmers in the final heat with the seventh and eighth qualifiers — Siobhan Ferris and Katie McClure. Similar to the 50, the Hodags are banking on a big time drop here from Lamers, who qualified 10th (55.57) but placed fifth last year. 

500 Freestyle — Both Whitefish Bay and Edgewood could pick up significant ground here as Rhinelander does not have an entry in this event. Whitefish Bay has only one, but it’s Anne Dickinson and she enters as the top seed in this event (4:58.07) by nearly 12 seconds. Edgewood has three swimmers in this event — Sylvia Thompson in third, Elbie Thompson in 11th and Elisa Olson in 12th. 

200 Freestyle Relay — Whitefish Bay enters as the top seed here at a 1:39.19 while Edgewood moved to second as sectionals with a 1:40.25. Rhinelander had its hands full at sectionals, winning this event by only 0.11 seconds. The Hodags and the team they beat, Wittenberg-Birnamwood, come in seeded third and fourth.

100 Backstroke — Celia Francis enters as the top returning finisher in this event, after taking second a year ago. She’s qualified second this year, but the favorite is Maggie Dickinson, who may be chasing another Francis in this race. Dickinson’s sectional time of 54.79 seconds sits only 0.40 seconds of the state record that Celia’s older sister, Malia, set in this event back in 2021. It’s another loaded event for Whitefish Bay, which also has the fourth- and fifth-fastest qualifiers in King and Lila Borchardt. Edgewood has Jensen and Emma Reed in the first heat while Kiley Pooch makes her state meet debut for the Hodags after qualifying 12th (1:01.05).

    Rhinelander’s Ella Heck leave the starting block to being the 100-yard breaststroke during a WIAA Division 2 sectional meet in Menomonie Saturday, Nov. 9. Heck is the fifth-fastest qualifier in the event for tonight’s state meet in Waukesha. (Jeremy Mayo/River News)
  

100 Breaststroke — The Hodags may have two legitimate podium threats here in Heck (fifth, 1:08.08) and Thorsen (eighth, 1:09.23) both swimming in the final heat. They were 16th and 14th in this event last year, respectively. Borroughs lost the state title to Karis Francis by 0.01 seconds last year, and enters as the top seed again (1:04.72). Charles is the third-fastest qualifier for Edgewood after placing fourth in this event last year. Additionally the Crusaders had Jane Martinelli (10th) swimming in the first heat while Antonelli (15th), is Whitefish Bay’s lone qualifier. 

400 Freestyle Relay — It’s Whitefish Bay and everybody else here. With a stacked lineup that featured the Dickinsons, Utschig and Shanks at sectionals, the Blue Dukes posted a time of 3:32.75, checking in nearly 8.4 seconds ahead of second-qualifier Rhinelander. The Hodags will have plenty of company. Edgewood is seeded third and there is only a 4.4-second gap between them and the top seeds in the first heat — Shorewood and Grafton (T-9th, 3:45.49).

Jeremy Mayo may be reached at [email protected].