Hodag girls take second in track opener

The Rhinelander High School track team had a small crew on Thursday, but turned in some impressive feats in its first track meet of the season.

Sophomores Emeline Hintz and Macy Myers both eclipsed the previous school record in the pole vault. They went 1-2 in that event, helping to lead the Hodag girls to a runner-up finish in the Wisconsin Rapids Indoor meet. 

It was one of three victories on the night for the Hodag girls. Senior Logan Schwinger won the shot put as the Hodag boys took third. 

Rhinelander had a limited crew — only 10 girls and 13 boys — due to spring break. Even a number of coaches were gone as new girls’ track head coach Andy Wyss led the group into action on Thursday.

“We were pretty limited but, coming off of one week of practice and the week of spring break practice that we got — which was mostly technical field type work and coming with a lot of underclassmen — I thought we performed really well against most of these teams that were full strength,” he said.

The highlight of the night was pole vault where both Hintz and Myers broke the previous school record of 8 feet, 3 inches that was set by Meagan Kelley in 2010. Hintz now owns the record after clearing 9-3 on Thursday while Myers went 8-6 to claim the runner-up spot. 

“To have two sophomores come out and try the event for the very first time have a week and a half of practice and break a school record that has stood for decades is really, really impressive,” Wyss said. “It’s a combination of getting these girls in here that know how to compete, that know how to move and control their bodies in certain ways and getting good coaching to match it.”

Overall it was a big night for underclassmen on the girls’ side for the Hodags. 

In addition to her pole vault victory, Hintz took fourth in the 50-meter hurdles and was fifth in the 55-meter dash. Kara Monk claimed the 1,600 meters for the Hodags (6:31.86) while Olivia Ruetz was the runner-up in the 400 and took third in the high jump.

“Those three are sophomores, so they’re coming into their second year and usually, as coaches, we find that the second year is really when athletes start to hit their stride,” Wyss said. “They’ve been through a year of track, they know what the training is like, they know what it takes to compete at that level. They’ve been through the year and now it’s just kind of like, ‘OK, I’m in the zone now. I’m going to work on my goals. I’m going to try to hit these marks. I’m going to try to hit these times.’ It’s kind of a different level of focus coming back that sophomore year and they’re showing it right off the bat.”

    Rhinelander’s Macy Myers takes the baton from teammate Violet Biolo in the 4-lap relay during the Wisconsin Rapids Indoor track and field meet in Wisconsin Rapids Thursday, March 20. The Hodags won the event as part of a runner-up finish in the team standings. (Bob Mainhardt for the River News)
  

The Hodags showcased plenty of speed, winning the 4-lap relay with the team of junior Violet Biolo, Myers, freshman Addison Fish and senior Wendy Fronk (1 minute, 21.79 seconds). Rhinelander also placed second, third, fourth and fifth in the 55 with Biolo, Myers, Ruetz and Hintz. The Hodags added a runner-up finish in the 4x400 with Biolo, Fish, freshman Addie Currie and Fronk. Sophomore Sam Aschenbrenner took fifth in the shot put. 

Schwinger, a sectional qualifier for the Hodags in the shot put last year, put up a good mark in his opener as he won that event with a toss of 43-11 1/2.

    Rhinelander’s Logan Schwinger throws the shot during the Wisconsin Rapids Indoor track and field meet in Wisconsin Rapids Thursday, March 20. Schwinger won the event with a toss of 43 feet, 11 1/2 inches. (Bob Mainhardt for the River News)
  

“I believe he said that’s a little bit shy is overall personal best but as far as his indoor best, I think that I think that beat his indoor best by 4 feet, something like that,” Wyss noted. “Definitely kind of where you want to be early on in the season, just really sitting in those new indoor marks.”

Freshman Matthew Haselton was the runner-up in the 400 while freshman Michael Brunette took third in the 1,600. Sophomore Eric Parish was fourth in the shot put and freshman Paul Denis came home fifth in the pole vault. The Hodags added a third-place finish in the 4-lap relay with the team of Parish, Grady DeBay, Sebastian Lieder-St. Peter and Landon Catlin. 

Though it was an exhibition race, Rhinelander also took first in the 4x133 throwers relay. The team of Schwinger, Parish, Shawn Denis and Leander Sprecksel claimed that event. It didn’t earn any team points, however it did earn the quartet a six-pack of doughnuts. 

“They weren’t going do it, but then they decided they would and they wanted that,” Wyss noted. “It’s a fun event, but they were pretty proud of themselves and it was nice to see them out there and win that event that the Rhinelander throwers group hasn’t won before so they got a box of doughnuts and just a fun thing.”

Reedsburg claimed the girls’ title by 20 points over Rhinelander while Wisconsin Rapids won the boys’ division.

The Hodags will be back to nearly full strength today as they compete at the Oredocker Indoor in Ashland. 

Jeremy Mayo may be reached at [email protected].