RHS girls earn three all-conference nods

A middle of the pack finish in the Great Northern Conference earned the Rhinelander High School girls’ basketball team three honorees on the All-GNC team.

Sophomores Aubryn Clark and Vivian Lamers and senior Kelsey Winter all received honorable mention as the team was announced Monday by the conference. 

Five of the six winter all-conference teams were announced. The lone exception was boys’ basketball as the conference coaches are slated to vote on that squad this coming Monday. 

Rhinelander (13-11, 7-5 Great Northern) finished tied for third in the conference with Medford, despite playing the final seven games of the GNC season without leading scorer Aubryn Clark, who sustained a season-ending back injury in early January. 

Clark did enough in the handful of games she did play to earn some votes from the conference coaches. She was not included on the conference leaderboard because she failed to meet the minimum of eight conference games played. However, the 121 points she scored were still eighth-best in the league as of the last update of the conference stats on Feb. 17. She also would have been No. 4 in the league in made 3-pointers (18). Clark was a unanimous first-team selection last year as a freshman.

“I just left up to the coaches,” Hodag coach Ryan Clark said regarding his daughter’s inclusion on the all-conference team. “She only played in five of the 12 games. I get it’s a gray area. I know some coaches probably (had) her first team and then other coaches didn’t vote for her. I just told the coaches I’ll respect (their decision) either way.

“When she was out I think people got a good understanding of how much she did, how much weight she pulled for our team, not only on the offensive end scoring but just even defensively.”

Both Lamers and Winter were first-time members of the all-conference team. Lamers picked up the bulk of the scoring and ball-handling duties for Rhinelander in Aubryn Clark’s absence. She sat sixth in the league in scoring (142 points) as of the last conference update. She was also fourth in steals (3.1 per game) and fourth in free throw percentage (.647).

“I think initially Vivian struggled a little bit with new role and more on her plate and was kind of thrust into the point guard position,” coach Clark said. “Really proud of her because I think of the last game against Mosinee compared to the first time where she really struggled and Friday night she had 16 points. She was taking care of the ball making good decision so I’m really happy with her growth.” 

Winter, who has played through a knee injury much of the season, was fourth on the team in scoring at 5.7 points per game in the GNC. Despite being listed at only 5-foot-7, Winter was still among the top rebounders in the conference. Her 7.1 rebounds per game had her fourth in the GNC as of the conference’s latest update. 

“I’m really happy she’s made it through the entire season. She’s such a competitor,” coach Clark said. “She brings a competitive spirit to our team. She battles hard, she rebounds hard, does whatever we ask her to do offense and defense. She’s willing to do whatever we need her to do for us to be successful.”

GNC champion Lakeland earned three spots in the first team, including conference player of the year Kristina Ouimette, who finished as the GNC’s single-season and career all-time leading scorer. She was joined on the first team by teammates Ali Timmerman and Ava Evenhouse. Medford’s Taylor Klingbeil and Mosinee’s Taelyn Jirschele rounded out the first team. Mosinee’s Joshua Hau was named the conference’s coach of the year. 

Other sports

As previously reported by the River News, senior defenseman Zach Edyvean was the only Hodag to make the all-conference boys’ hockey squad. Though that team was officially posted by the GNC on Monday, it had been announced during the final round of the Great Northern Conference tournament Feb. 15 at the Rhinelander Ice Arena. 

Tomahawk had the most all-conference honorees with six followed by Mosinee with five. Brothers Austin and Brayden Lamer were first-team defensemen for the Hatchets. Mosinee’s Tyler Baars, Tomahawk’s Jonah Dickens and Antigo’s Owen Dickman were the first team forwards and Mosinee’s Aiden Karst was the first-team goalie. Austin Lamer was named the conference player of the year and Tomahawk’s Dewey Reilly was voted coach of the year. 

In the three other sports, all-conference honors were determined by finishes at the conference meet. 

The Hodags cleaned up in boys’ swimming, winning all 11 events and taking all the spots on the conference first team. Dolan O’Malley, Shawn Denis, Charlie Antonuk, Judson O’Malley, Samson Shinners, Mathias Fugle and Dean Gillingham all earned first-team honors in at least two events. Matthew Wood, Broden Wagner, Paul Denis, Christopher Larson and Daniel Meier all received honorable mention with at least one third-place finish at conference. Shawn Denis and Fugle shared conference swimmer of the year honors while Rhinelander’s Jenny Heck took home coach of the year. 

The Hodag wrestlers had six all-conference honorees. Reid Schultz took first team honors as the heavyweight champion. Logan Schwinger was on the second team thanks to his runner-up finish at 175. Avrom Barr (138), Anthony Boldt (144), Dresden Klaver (157) and Jeffrey Dupree (165) all received honorable mention with their third-place finishes at conference. 

Medford’s Paxton Rothmeier and Mosinee’s George Ahles, the champs at 175 and 138 pounds, respectively, were named co-conference wrestlers of the year. Tomahawk’s Bob Garrou was voted coach of the year. 

Alexis Smith was the only Hodag to earn all-conference honors in gymnastics. She received honorable mention in the floor exercise and on vault by virtue of her third-place finishes at conference in those events. Ashland’s Kaia Werner won two events and the all-around to be named GNC Small Division gymnast of the year. Ashland’s Elizabeth Lipske was named the Small Division’s coach of the year. 

Jeremy Mayo may be reached at [email protected].