Team preview: RHS boys’ swimming

The Rhinelander High School boys’ swim team has had plenty of success over the past several seasons. The squad has captured six straight Great Northern Conference and WIAA sectional titles to go along with top-three finishes at the WIAA D2 state meet each of the last three years.

With virtually all of last year’s squad returning intact, plus a new group of freshmen, the Hodags figure to reload this year after finishing runner-up at last year’s state meet.

“This senior class is strong and can lead the way, but there are a lot of underclassmen who can contribute and come out of nowhere. I think we’re going to have some surprises,” Hodag coach Jenny Heck said.

The competition season for the Hodags gets underway tonight at the D.C. Everest pentathlon and will conclude in late February at the state meet in Waukesha. Along the way, the Hodags are eager to build a squad that will be competitive every time they jump in the water. 

On paper, the Hodags have plenty of talent available, considering six of the seven swimmers who represented Rhinelander at state last year are back. The lone, and biggest, loss for the squad is Zacha King, who was the state runner-up in the 100 backstroke each of the last two years. Additionally, King was fifth in the 200 individual medley and on a pair of runner-up relay last year at state.

The strength of the squad lies in a deep and talented senior class — all of whom stood on the podium in an relay and/or and individual event last year in Waukesha. 

    In this Feb. 16, 2024 file photo, Rhinelander’s Shawn Denis competes in the 100-yard breaststroke during the WIAA Division 2 state meet in Waukesha. Denis, a senior, finished fifth in the event at state last year, setting a school record in the process. (Jeremy Mayo/River News)
  

Shawn Denis is back after breaking the school record in a fifth-place finish in the 100 breaststroke at state last year. He also placed 12th in the 200 individual medley. Mathias Fugle was fifth in the 100 freestyle and seventh in the 50 last year and Samson Shinners took sixth in the 100 freestyle and eighth in the 200 freestyle at state. Dolan O’Malley narrowly missed the podium with a seventh-place swim in the 100 backstroke and was 10th in the IM, while Brock Arrowood took ninth in the backstroke and 10th in the 100 butterfly. Additionally, all five seniors were part of two runner-up finishes in the relays at state. 

“With a huge senior team, that helps,” Heck said. “They know what’s expected. They know what we’re going to do. It’s not easy. They know that, but they also know the rewards are great and if you keep your head in the game, there’s great things coming. 

“We’re so happy to have them all back. They know what it’s like and they can help lead the team in and out of the pool. They know what it takes to be great and they’ll show the new and returning swimmers the way.”

The Hodags return three sophomores from last year’s squad — Judson O’Malley, Charlie Antonuk and Christopher Larson. O’Malley qualified for state in the 100 backstroke last year, taking 11th and narrowly missed in the butterfly after placing fourth at sectionals. He’s also the reigning GNC champion in the 500 freestyle.

Antonuk scored sixth-place finishes at sectionals in the 200 freestyle and the 100 butterfly but is versatile. He swam to third-place finishes at conference in the 50 freestyle and the 100 breaststroke. Larson was part of two all-conference relays last year as a freshman and placed fourth in the conference in the 100 backstroke.

Heck said she wouldn’t be surprised if the sophomores take a big jump forward this year, similar to what a number of the sophomores on the Hodag girls’ team did this fall.

“Those sophomores, they sure have a lot of potential too,” Heck said. “They’re excited. Some of them were, similar to the girls, right on the edge of making some great things happen. I think they’re excited to see what’s going to happen. They know that it takes.” 

The Hodags bring in a class of five freshmen, led by two names with strong connections to the program. Dean Gillingham is the younger brother of Daniel Gillingham, who was a key player in the Hodags’ state title run in 2023. Paul Denis is the younger brother of Shawn Denis.

“Dean has been swimming forever. I feel like he’s always been around. It will be exciting to see him compete with the rest of the guys,” Heck said. “I think almost all of them have been in the club scene. They’re not brand new. That’s great. They’ll have a lot to learn. High school is very different than club, the meets and the training and everything, but club is a great preparation for them. It will be exciting to see.” 

Daniel Meier, Broden Wagner and Matthew Wood round out the incoming freshman. Additionally, the team has a wild card in senior Michael Schiek who, though this is his first year on the high school team, swam competitively at the club level several years ago.

The regular season schedule gets underway tonight with the D.C. Everest Pentathlon. With each team member swimming a 50-yard event in the four core strokes plus a 100 individual medley, Heck said the meet will serve as a good baseline for her team going into the conference season.

“That’s always a fun meet,” she said. “You get to see some times, see where people are at and see the improvements they make — especially the new swimmers. That’s a fun one and we’ll kind of start to see who can swim what and what relays we can put together. I think it’s a perfect first meet.”

The Hodags figure to be the overwhelming favorites in the GNC after winning all 11 events at the conference meet last year. GNC dual meet action begins right after the Thanksgiving break, with the Hodags host Medford and Lakeland next week. 

Rhinelander will host the GNC meet at the Heck Family Community Pool Feb. 7 as it vies for its seventh straight conference title. 

Other highlights on the team’s schedule include the Hodag Relays Dec. 14, the Ashwaubenon Invite Jan. 11, the Appleton North Invite Jan. 17 and the Shorewood Small School State Invite Jan. 25. Sectionals will be hosted at Ashwaubenon Feb. 15 with the D2 state meet taking place in Waukesha Feb. 21.

Jeremy Mayo may be reached at [email protected]. 

TEAM SCHEDULE

Date    Opponent/Event    Time

11/26    D.C Everest Pentathlon    5 p.m.

12/3    MEDFORD*    5:30 p.m.

12/5    LAKELAND*    5:30 p.m.

12/12    at Tomahawk*    5:30 p.m.

12/14    HODAG RELAYS    11 a.m.

12/17    SHAWANO*    5:30 p.m.

12/19    at Antigo*    5:30 p.m.

1/7    at Medford, Shawano**    5:30 p.m.

1/11    Ashwaubenon Invite    1 p.m.

1/14    at Lakeland, Antigo **    5:30 p.m.

1/17    Appleton North Invite    5:30 p.m.

1/23    LAKELAND, TOMAHAWK**    5:30 p.m.

1/25    Shorewood Invite    8 a.m.

2/7    GNC MEET AT RHS*    5 p.m.

2/15    WIAA Sectionals at Ashwaubenon    1 p.m.

2/21    WIAA State  at Waukesha    5:30 p.m.

*Conference meets | ** Double duals | HOME MEETS IN CAPS