All-GNC roundup: RHS earns three soccer honors, has two athletes of the year

In addition to six players earning all-conference honors in football, Rhinelander High School had several other players earn All-Great Northern Conference honors for the 2025 fall sports season as the majority of teams were announced on Monday.

In total, the Hodags finished with 32 all-conference honorees across five different sports. That included 12 athletes who earned first-team recognition and a pair of conference athletes of the year. 

Awards for football (see related story), boys’ soccer and volleyball were voted on by the coaches during the conference meetings Oct. 22. Awards in cross country, girls’ swimming and girls’ tennis were all based on results from the respective conference meets in those sports,  with the exception of girls’ swimmer of the year, which was voted on Monday by the conference coaches. 

That honor when to Rhinelander senior Emma Houg, who joined Hodag junior Avrom Barr — the GNC boys’ cross country champ —as a conference athlete of the year. 

Boys’ soccer

The RHS boys’ soccer squad was limited in nominations due to a last-place finish in the conference standings, but still managed to have a pair of second-team honorees in Charlie Johnson and Asher Rivord, while Aidan Lueder received honorable mention. All three players are juniors for the Hodags. 

“We were only allowed to nominate three,” coach John Vojta said. “I talked over with the coaching staff, and we came up with our three, and I made a case for them to be first teamers and (I’m) very happy that we got two second teamers and an honorable mention out of it.”

While Johnson did not register a point for the Hodags during conference play, he proved to be a valuable and versatile piece of the puzzle this season. He started the year in the midfield before moving to back and helping to solidify a defense that went from allowing 29 goals during its first six conference games to 14 over its final six. 

“Charlie was huge. I mean, he was flexible. he started out in the center midfield and was controlling that for us,” coach Vojta said. “We couldn’t seem to get the back solidified. I think about halfway through the first (Northland) Pines game, Asher went down hurt and we moved Charlie in the back and he stayed there the rest of the season and was a huge difference for us.”

Rivord was Rhinelander’s leading scorer on the year, tallying three of the Hodags’ seven goals on the season. He also successfully converted penalty kick chances in two of three shootouts he participated in this season. Lueder was also successful two out of three times in shootouts and had the lone goal in the Hodags’ playoff draw against Medford.

“Asher went back up top and he’s quick, just an Energizer bunny, and was able to find the net a few times,” coach Vojta said. “Aidan was just kind of the link between the front and the back. And obviously the other coaches in the conference noticed it too.”

Lakeland’s Marshall Holmquist was named offensive player of the year while Tyler Vojta, coach Vojta’s son, received defensive player of the year honors for Northland Pines. Mosinee’s Aaron Fielder was voted coach of the year. 

Girls’ swimming

    Rhinelander’s Emma Houg stands on the top step of the podium after winning the 200-yard individual medley at the Great Northern Conference meet in Rice Lake Friday, Oct. 24. Houg won three events at the conference meet and was voted the GNC’s swimmer of the year. (Bob Mainhardt for the River News)
  

While the majority of the all-conference awards were determined at the GNC meet on Oct. 24, the conference coaches still had the matter of deciding swimmer of the year during their meeting on Monday. To be eligible for the award, a swimmer needed to win at least one event at the conference meet. 

Houg came out of a deep pool of candidates to win the honor. She was the conference champion in the 200-yard individual medley and the 100 backstroke. Her winning time in the IM (2 minutes, 17.50 seconds) was the fastest overall in the conference this season — including dual meet play. 

Houg was also on the Hodags’ winning 200 freestyle relay team and had a third-place swim in the 200 medley relay. The 46 points Houg was responsible for were tied with teammate Rylee Mickevicius for the most scored at the conference meet. 

“Emma had a fantastic conference meet winning the 2IM and the 100 back,” coach Jenny Heck said. “She is versatile and strong in all four strokes with emphasis on any longer event. She has put in countless hours during season and off season at RSC (Rhinelander Swim Club), in the weight room and summer swim to improve her technique and sprinting as she has become faster, stronger and better each year. Emma is a great leader in and out of the pool, not only with Hodag swimmers, but all people. Emma is very dedicated & deserving of this award.”

Houg received first-team honors in the three events she won and received honorable mention in the 200-medley relay. She was one of four Hodag swimmers to earn all-conference awards in four events. Mickevicius won the 200 freestyle, 500 freestyle and was on the winning 400 freestyle relay and with Houg in the Hodags’ B entry in the 200 medley relay that took third. Vivian Lamers won the 50 freestyle, was second in the 100 freestyle and was on the winning 200 and 400 freestyle relay teams. Ella Heck won the 100 breaststroke, was on the winning 200 medley and 200 freestyle relays and added a third-place swim in the 100 freestyle. 

Kiley Pooch, Millie Gruett and June Chiamulera all had three all-conference swims Oct. 24. Pooch was the runner-up in the 100 backstroke and part of wins in the 200 medley and 400 freestyle relays; Gruett took second in the 100 butterfly and was on the wining 200 medley and 200 freestyle relay teams; Chiamulera was second in the 200 freestyle and on the winning 200 and 400 freestyle relays.

Junior Kyree McMahon and freshman Lola Beach both earned all-conference honors in two events. Beach was the runner-up in the 500 freestyle, McMahon took third in the 200 IM and both were on the third-place squad in the 200 medley relay. 

Rhinelander alumna, and Lakeland head coach, Tierney Edwards was voted the conference coach of the year. The T-Birds vaulted from tied for fourth in the conference standings to a runner-up finish this year. 

Other sports

Rhinelander’s other 2025 fall athlete of the year earned his honor with a conference championship — that was Barr, who took GNC male runner of the year honors by virtue of his victory at the GNC meet in Rhinelander Oct. 18. He was one of eight Hodag runners to receive all-conference honors. 

First-team awards went to those who placed in the top seven at conference. Barr and Jackson Weinzatl (fifth) claimed those honors for the Hodags on the boys’ side while Macy Myers (fourth) and Kara Monk (sixth) made the girls’ first team.

Jonathan Campbell (11th) and Michael Brunette (12th) both received second-team honors on the boys’ side while Grant Gremban (16th) and Ayden Myers (21st) received honorable mention. 

In girls’ tennis, the Hodags went from zero all-conference honorees in 2024 to six this year. Rhinelander’s Nos. 2 and 3 doubles teams of Willow VanDenHeuvel and Eva Heck, and Willow Mutter and Addy Currie both made second team by virtue of their runner-up finishes at the conference tournament Sept. 25 in Rhinelander. Taylor McKinney and Lucy Evers received honorable mention based on third-place showings at Nos. 3 and 4 singles. 

Rhinelander was shut out of the all-conference list in volleyball after going winless in GNC play this year and taking only one set in 10 conference matches.

Tomahawk’s Siennah Calkins was the conference’s player of the year. Northland Pines coach Julie Smith shared coach of the year honors with another Rhinelander alumna, Taylor Bruhl (nee Wissbroecker), who guided Lakeland to a third-place finish in the GNC this year. Bruhl was voted the conference’s player of the year in 2012 when she helped lead the Hodags to their first and only volleyball conference title. 

Jeremy Mayo may be reached at [email protected].