Hodag swimmers look to keep sectional streak alive

The Rhinelander High School boys’ swim team is looking for its eighth consecutive WIAA Division 2 sectional championship on Saturday when it competes in a 10-team sectional in Rice Lake. With no seniors on the roster, and a familiar foe nipping at their heels, this may be the Hodags’ most difficult sectional test yet.

Rhinelander is still projected to come out on top Saturday, based on sectional psych sheets released by the WIAA on Tuesday, but the cushion is scant. The Hodags hold a 374-354 advantage over Ashwaubenon, based on the seed times posted for all the entries in each event. 

It’s a similar story to last year, when the Hodags were projected as 18-point favorites over the Jaguars and went on to win the sectional crown by 23 points. 

“I think that’s gonna be close,” Hodag coach Jenny Heck said. “They rest really well, and they really want to go after us. They’d really love to break our streak, and they’re a fast team as well. I’m very cautious about that, and I think we have a lot to prove with our times and our places, before I get too excited about that.”

Winning another sectional title is one objective for the Hodags on Saturday. The other is qualifying as many entries as possible to the WIAA D2 state meet Feb. 20 in Waukesha. Even that task will be harder than in years past as the Hodags, based on the psych sheets, are projected to qualify nine entries to state — down from the 15 they sent a year ago. The four D2 sectional champions in each event, plus the next 12 fastest times among the four sectionals, advance to Waukesha. 

The Hodags are projected to win four events on Saturday and have five other at-large entries.

“Every year is so much different, and this year is definitely more of a rebuilding year with this young group,” Heck said. “We’re looking at how we can place the highest at sectionals versus how many wins we can get. So it’s very different. Our attack is a little bit different, but the goal is always the same — and that’s to make the most out of the athletes that you have, see how far they can come from the beginning, how much improvement they can make and how high they can place.”

Sophomore Daniel Gillingham is the safest bet to advance for the Hodags. He’s the top seed in the sectional in both the 200-yard individual medley (2 minutes, 2.54 seconds) and the 100 breaststroke (1:00.62), with times that are the fifth and third-best, respectively, in the state.

Junior Judson O’Malley is projected to win the 100 backstroke (57.43) and sits 10th fastest in the state. He’s also projected as an at-large qualifier in the 200 IM, seeded fourth in the sectional and 13th statewide (2:07.41). 

Junior Charlie Antonuk, who like Gillingham and Judson O’Malley is a returning state qualifier, is on pace for at-large bids in both the 100 butterfly (2nd/12th, 56.57) and the 100 backstroke (3rd/13th, 58.90).

The Hodags are also angling to get all three of their relays through to state and are in position to do so, based on the seeding. Rhinelander is the top seed in the sectional, and seventh overall, in the 200 medley relay (1:51.67). Things aren’t as cut and dried in the other two relays. 

The Hodags are seeded second in the sectional, behind Ashwaubenon, in both the 200 and 400 freestyle relays. Rhinelander’s seeded ninth statewide in the 200 freestyle relay (1:34.48), but sits less than 2 1/2 seconds ahead of the first team projected out in the event, Grafton (1:36.90). Rhinelander has much less of a positional buffer in the 400 freestyle relay, seeded 14th (3:33.64), but times drop off significantly behind them. Milton, the 16th seed, is nearly 10 seconds slower than the Hodags. Rice Lake, the first team out, is nearly 14 seconds slower.

“If we could get three relays through and get more guys with state experience swimming at that state meet, I think that’s really valuable. If we can do that, that would be huge, and I would feel really happy for some of those newer guys,” Heck said.

Relays will likely be the avenue in which those on the team looking for their first state meet appearance will have the best chance to qualify. Individually, freshman Kellen O’Malley is outside the cutline in both the 200 IM (5th/20th, 2:12.36) and the 100 butterfly (7th/21st, 59.35). Rhinelander’s two entries in the 500 freestyle, Daniel Meier (5th/23rd, 5:35.13) and Finn Thorsen (6th/24th, 5:36.72) are the only others seeded in the top 24 overall.

Rhinelander’s sectional lineup is deeper than it has been in past years, with 13 of the team’s 14 swimmers competing in at least one event. While the majority of entries are not in state contention, all are projected to score points at the sectional and all but one is among the top eight and swimming in the final heat in each event. 

“We have so many of the guys who are really at the same level as far as their experience and as far as how they could place at sectionals,” Heck said. “We thought it would be really important to give those guys the experience at the sectional meet, even if they only have one event. Some of them have one, and maybe a relay, or some of them just have one, but that experience alone, that’s what you need to do for your building years, get them ready for the next year and get them prepared.”

Saturday’s meet gets underway at 1 p.m. at the Rice Lake Natatorium.  

Jeremy Mayo may be reached at [email protected].