Hodag powerlifters win in Ashland

The Rhinelander High School powerlifting club swept the boys’ and girls’ competitions in a Wisconsin High School Powerlifting Association Region Six meet in Ashland Saturday, Dec. 13. The Hodag boys won with 108 points and the girls won with 96 points.

“The Hodag Powerlifting team brought our largest team to date, with 51 athletes competing up to Ashland,” coach Drake Biolo said. “Twenty three of those athletes were first-time lifters in a meet.”

Senior Myles Eagleson was named best overall male lifter of the meet as he won the 181-pound weight class with a score of 1,145 pounds with the combination of his best squad, bench press and deadlift of the day. He was one of 10 Hodag lifters who automatically qualified for the WHSPA state meet in March by meeting or exceeding a predefined total score for a respective weight class. 

The Hodags boys had four state qualifiers at 123 pounds, led by Trenton Smits, who won the class (825). Canyon Sizemore finished second (765) and Jacob Guinther finished fourth (700). Trevor Denton won the JV division at 123 and his score of 670 was 20 pounds better than the state qualifying standard in that class. 

Senior Landon Webster won the 275-pound class (1,185) to qualify for state. His day included a 500-pound lift in the squat. 

The Hodag girls had four state qualifiers, led by Taylor Dahlquist, who won the 165-pound weight class (630), making the state-qualifying standard on the number. 

Shyanne Hueckstaedt (600), Kali Skubal (625) and Saige Mutter (655) all qualified for state with runner-up finishes at 132, 148 and 198 pounds, respectively. 

In addition to Smits, Eagleson and Webster, the Hodag boys had three other varsity weight class winners — Leander Sprecksel at 198, Sam Caselton at 242 and Dom Hakala at heavyweight. Peyton Denton won the 114-pound class for the Hodag girls, while Brooklyn Marten was tops at 181. 

Other varsity podium finishers for the Hodag boys included Jonathan Campbell (second, 132), Logan Creapeau (third, 148), Jackson Waydick (second, 181), Nathan Olds (third, 181), Pedro Mata (second, 198), Parker McCone (third, 275) and Brock Sternitzky (second, heavyweight). 

Corynn Waksmonski (second, 220), Gretchen Fiebke (third, 148), Gracie Anderson (third, 165), Taylor McKinney (third, 181) and Claire Ourada (third, 198) added podium finishes for the Hodag girls.

In JV action, Isayah Vassar (148), Wyatt Crowell (165), Brayden Dervetski (198) and Douglas Hartmann (220) were class winners on the boys’ side to go along with Clara Pudlowski (148) and eighth grader Kelsie Skubal (132) on the girls’ side. 

“Being a middle schooler she must compete in JV where she took first place by 155 pounds over the second-place finisher, however she would have taken third in the varsity weight class,” Biolo noted.

The Hodag powerlifters will compete again Jan. 10 in Wausaukee and host a meet Feb. 7 at the Jim Miazga Community Gymnasium.