15 Hodag swimmers earn WISCA All-State honors

Fifteen members of the Rhinelander High School boys’ and girls’ swim teams earned all-state recognition from the Wisconsin Interscholastic Swim Coaches Association based on their performances at the WIAA state championships this past school year.

The awards were presented during the WISCA banquet Sunday, May 4 in Hartford. 

Those who placed in the top three in an individual event or relay at the state meet earned all-state honors, while those who finished fourth through sixth received honorable mention. Athletes were also able to earn all-state or honorable mention recognition if their time in an event met or bettered a pre-established time standard. 

On the boys’ side, the 200-yard freestyle relay of Mathias Fugle, Shawn Denis, Dean Gillingham and Samson Shinners earned all-state honors based on their runner-up finish at state. Fugle also received all-state honors based on a third-place finish in the 100 freestyle. 

On the girls’ side, sophomore Celia Francis earned all-state recognition in all four events she swam at state. She defended her state championship in the 200 individual medley last November and scored a runner-up finish in the 100 backstroke. She additionally was part of runner-up performances for the Hodags in the 200 medley and 400 freestyle relays. 

Francis, Ella Heck, Ellyse Younker and Lily Thorsen received all-state honors thanks to a runner-up finish in the 200 medley relay. Francis, Younker, Vivian Lamers and June Chiamulera were named all-state thanks to their runner-up swim in the 400 freestyle relay. Heck, Thorsen, Lamers and Millie Gruett earned all-state with a third-place swim in the 200 freestyle relay. 

The Hodag boys had six different swimmers earn honorable mention. Dolan O’Malley did in all four of his events — the 200 individual medley, 100 backstroke, 200 medley relay and 400 freestyle relay. Fugle received honorable mention in the 50 freestyle and 400 freestyle relay while Shinners earned honorable mention in the 200 freestyle and the 400 freestyle relay. Judson O’Malley was the fourth member of the 400 freestyle relay team to receive honorable mention. He also received honorable mention in the 200 medley relay with Dolan O’Malley, Denis, and Charlie Antonuk.

Lamers received honorable mention for top-six finishes in the 50 and 100 freestyle, Younker and Rylee Mickevicius both earned honorable mention in the 100 butterfly and Heck received honorable mention in the 100 breaststroke. 

Additionally five members of the Hodag swim teams earned WISCA academic all-state honors — Dolan O’Malley, Fugle, Shinners, Younker and Thorsen. WISCA presents the award only to seniors who have a cumulative GPA of 3.5 or higher, have been on their high school swim team for at least two years and have earned at least one varsity letter.

The Hodag boys’ swim team claimed second place in the team standings at the WIAA D2 state meet in Waukesha this past February while the Hodag girls swim to a third-place finish in their D2 state meet in Waukesha last November. 

Jeremy Mayo may be reached at [email protected].