RHS gymnasts edge Antigo at home

Though less than 100% from a health standpoint, the Rhinelander High School gymnastics team still had enough in the tank Tuesday night to fend off a longtime rival.

The Hodags came through on their final event of the night to edge Antigo 114.425-112.225 in a Great Northern Conference Small division dual at the YMCA of the Northwoods. The win moved Rhinelander to 1-1 in the GNC Small and marked Rhinelander’s first dual meet win over the Robins in nearly two decades.

It came down to the last event as the Hodags led by a mere 0.025 points after three rotations. Rhinelander scored 30.775 on floor exercise while Antigo posted a 28.6 on the balance beam to account for the final margin. 

“I’m happy that we were still able to get that one because we were really hoping we could put it together for that,” coach Kristina Aschenbrenner said. “A lot of falls on beam, a couple floor routine mistakes, but also some surprises on vault. Mollie (Arneson) threw a new vault today and that went really well. So, overall, you know we did good and I’m happy with it.”

The Hodags were short-handed as freshman Emeline Hintz, one of the team’s top all-arounders, missed the meet due to a knee injury sustained at practice a night earlier. Senior Wendy Fronk, who missed last Saturday’s invite in Antigo, was back in the lineup for the Hodags and led the team in the all-around. She finished second on the night with a 28.65 and saved her best for last, winning the floor exercise with a 7.95. She added a runner-up finish on balance beam (7.3).

“Wendy had a new skill on beam that we’ve been working on, so that was fun to see,” coach Aschenbrenner said. “Good meet for Wendy. You know, senior night, so it’s always fun to see the seniors shine on senior night. Margherita (Tibaldeschi), our other senior, she had a nice beam routine, nice floor routine so that was a lot of fun to see those girls perform.”

    Rhinelander’s Alexis Smith performs a vault during a GNC Small division gymnastics meet against Antigo at the YMCA of the Northwoods Tuesday, Feb. 4. Smith won the event and finished third in the all-around. (Bob Mainhardt for the River News)
  

Sophomore Alexis Smith took third in the all-around (28.5). She won the vault with an 8.45 and was fifth on both uneven bars and balance beam.

“She just has a super clean consistent vault that she was able to pull off again and is just doing great,” coach Aschenbrenner noted. 

Sam Aschenbrenner was fifth in the all-around (27.425), highlighted by a runner-up finish on the floor (7.725) and a third-place showing on uneven bars (6.45). Freshman Addison Fish scored three top-five finishes for Rhinelander, taking second on the uneven bars (6.5), fourth on the balance beam (6.95) and fifth on the floor (7.5). Tibaldeschi added a fourth-place shoring on the floor (7.6).

Antigo’s Alexis Rank won the balance beam (8.45) and the uneven bars (7.5), helping her to claim the individual all-around (31.825). 

The Hodags also won the JV portion of the meet with 79.65 points. Sophomore Olivia Ruetz took the all-around with a score of 24.0.

“It was nice to see some additional routines because they’ve been working on them. We just haven’t had the opportunity to show them off,” coach Aschenbrenner noted. 

Rhinelander is back in action Saturday at the Marshfield Invite which, like last weekend’s competition in Antigo, will feature all four teams from the GNC Small. 

“We’re excited for that one. They do have JV that they run simultaneously, so all the girls will be able to compete again,” coach Aschenbrenner said. “(We’re) just trying to clean up some of our falls and errors on floor, and stay consistent on vault. That would be the goal.”

Jeremy Mayo may be reached at [email protected].