Swimming: Hodags cruise past Lakeland 119-50

The Rhinelander High School girls’ swim team may not have been feeling its best Thursday night, but it still had more than enough in the tank to get past Lakeland in Great Northern Conference dual meet play.

The Hodags won eight of 11 events and swept the top three spots four times as they swam past the Thunderbirds 119-50 in Minocqua. 

Sophomore Vivian Lamers won all four of her events for Rhinelander as the Hodags (4-0 GNC) had nine different swimmers find the winner’s circle. Yet coach Jenny Heck noted her team’s performances, in general, were a bit off their best. She chalked that up to swimming through the most intense practices of the season as well as a number of swimmers feeling under the weather. 

“We had some decent swims here and there, but largely it looked like we were just struggling,” she said. “Mentally, they held it together but, physically, they’re just so sore from the weight room. It’s been rough this week. We have almost everybody dealing with some sickness on the team. I was actually thrilled we could have all 14 here today considering how the week’s been going.”

Lamers was the only Hodag to win two individual events, leading top-three sweeps in both the 200-yard individual medley and the 100 freestyle. Lamers (2 minutes, 23.98 seconds) beat teammate Emma Houg to the wall by 1.31 seconds in the IM, while sophomore Kiley Pooch finished third. Lamers (55.71) won by 3.32 seconds in the 100 freestyle over Millie Gruett, with Pooch again finishing third. 

“We had some kids who just haven’t swam the IM yet. Vivian did well in the IM and she hadn’t swam it yet this season,” coach Heck noted. “That was good to see. I was pleased to have her in that.”

Rhinelander also went 1-2-3 in the 50 freestyle as Ella Heck (25.95) edged teammate Ellyse Younker for the win by 0.26 seconds with sophomore Kyree McMahon third. Rhinelander also swept the top three in the 100 butterfly with Lily Thorsen (1:03.22), Ella Heck and Houg. 

“Lily had good swim. Her 100 fly was solid for this time of year and her fly’s been looking fantastic,” coach Heck said. 

    Rhinelander’s Celia Francis competes in the 200-yard freestyle during a GNC girls’ swimming dual meet against Lakeland in Minocqua Thursday, Sept. 26. (Brett LaBore/Lakeland Times)
  

Celia Francis scored the win in the 100 backstroke (1:00.42) and the Hodags won all three relays. 

Houg, Thorsen, Younker and Lamers made up the winning quartet in the 200 medley relay (1:55.93); Francis, Thorsen, June Chiamulera and Lamers took the 200 freestyle relay (1:43.38); Ella Heck, Gruett, Younker and Francis won the 400 freestyle relay (3:52.80).

Olivia Mickle, a returning state qualifier, won two races for Lakeland. She beat Francis for the win in the 200 freestyle (2:01.58) and cruised in the 500 freestyle (5:28.62) ahead of Rhinelander’s Rylee Mickevicius and Younker. 

Lakeland’s other victory came in the 100 breaststroke where Daryn Smolinski (1:17.77) out-touched Chiamulera at the wall by 0.16 seconds. 

“They’re a good team and they’re rebuilding,” Heck said of a Lakeland program guided by RHS alumna Tierney Edwards. “They have a strong swimmer. Olivia Mickle had a great meet. I think she might have been close to their pool record in the 200 free.”

Between the training and a run of dual meets, coach Heck said the team’s entering arguably the most difficult part of the schedule with still 6 1/2 weeks remaining before the WIAA state meet. 

“I told the girls it’s part of being mentally tough, getting through the hard times,” she said. “That’s what this week and next week are going to be. Even though you have fun, you’ve got to continue to work hard and have those goals in mind. We have three meets left, then small school state (invite at Shorewood) and we’re down to championship season. It’s coming to a close and I think everyone understands that, but we also know we’ve got to keep pushing and there’s no time to let up yet.”

The Hodags will be back in the pool this Thursday at Tomahawk. 

Jeremy Mayo may be reached at [email protected].