Hodag swimmers cruise past Antigo in GNC opener

Despite a juggled lineup, a balky timing system and an atypical pool, the Rhinelander High School girls’ swim team had little difficulty Thursday as it began it Great Northern Conference title defense.

The Hodags won nine of the 11 events and cruised to a 120-48 victory over the Antigo Red Robins at the McKenna Aquatic Center. 

Celia Francis was scratched from the lineup on Thursday, but the defending state champion Hodags still managed four top-three sweeps along with a pair of 1-2 finishes in relays. 

“Our girls have been training hard and we knew we were going to train through this and put everyone into some of their, maybe, not best events. It’s good to swim other events and we have that option with the depth,” Hodag coach Jenny Heck said. “Most of the girls were swimming something different or maybe what wouldn’t be their first choice, but it gives us some opportunity to see what we can do and also shake it up a little bit. Doing other events makes your better event better in the long run. I really believe that’s true. It’s no fun swimming the same races over and over. We are fortunate that we have that ability to play around with our lineup a little bit.”

Not that it was all easy for Rhinelander. Coach Heck said the officials had to resort to a whistle to start races during the second half of the meet following issues with Antigo’s timing system. Those issues affected the 50-meter freestyle as Heck said senior Ellyse Younker had a slow start off the blocks and wound up third in the event by 0.06 seconds. June Chiamulera, swimming out of the first heat, got the win for Rhinelander (28.97 seconds) while Antigo’s Chloe Tainter held off Younker for second. 

Younker won the 100 freestyle (1:04.20) despite that race being stopped halfway through due to a timing malfunction and re-run following the 400-meter freestyle.

“Those things happen. I guess it’s also a lesson that it’s like life, things don’t always go perfectly,” coach Heck noted. “It’s how you handle it and move on. It’s a good reminder that we still have to keep at it and don’t complain about it and make the most of it. I think that’s what the girls did a good job doing today.”

Lily Thorsen and Vivian Lamers each won three individual events for Rhinelander. Thorsen claimed the 400 freestyle (5:11.70), the 100 breaststroke (1:21.53) and was on the winning 200 freestyle relay team with Lamers, Kiley Pooch and Ella Heck (1:58.56). Lamers added a win in the 200 freestyle (2:24.75) and was also on the winning 400 freestyle relay team with Millie Gruett, Ella Heck and Younker (4:32.29).

Emma Houg won the 100 backstroke (1:12.78) and led a 1-2-3 finish the 200 individual medley (2:40.42) with Rylee Mickevicius second and Pooch third. 

Lamers, Ella Heck and Kyree McMahon went 1-2-3 in the 200 freestyle; Thorsen, Gruett and Heck swept the top three in the 400 and Thorsen, Chiamulera and Pooch claimed maximum team points in the breaststroke. 

Houg, Kyleigh Kennedy, Mickevicius and Chiamulera were the runner-up team in the 200 freestyle relay. McMahon, Mickevicius, Jordyn Kecker and Houg took second in the 400 freestyle relay. 

Antigo took the opening event of the night, pulling away over the final 50 meters to win the 200 medley relay (2:16.03). Chiamulera, McMahon, Younker and Kennedy claimed the runner-up spot in that event. Antigo’s Chloe Tainter, a 2023 state qualifier in the 100 butterfly, swam to a 2.16-second win over Lamers in that event (1:11.35).

Coach Heck said the short-course meter pool in Antigo provided an extra challenge for the Hodags — and extra distance in each race except the 500-yard freestyle, which was shortened to 400 meters. 

“You could really see the piano falling on their backs at the end. We’ve been training hard, but those extra yards, when they’re used to knowing their stroke count and their times, everything’s all thrown off here,” she said. “It gets a little challenging for everybody, but that’s part of the game and we know that’s what we’re getting into. We took it with a grain of salt and we are happy to have our first win in the GNC and look forward to moving on to some yard pools.”

The Hodags will be back home at the Heck Family Community Pool this Thursday to face the Ladysmith co-op in a conference dual and home again Saturday to face Wausau West in a non-conference dual meet. That was originally the date for the Hodag Relays, but the event was changed to a dual with the Warriors after a number of other teams backed out of the event. 

Jeremy Mayo may be reached at [email protected].