Back on top: Hodag gymnasts win GNC title in dominant fashion

MINOCQUA — When Kristina Aschenbrenner took over the Rhinelander High School gymnastics team, being able to field a full lineup was a challenge, let alone trying to compete for a Great Northern Conference title. 

Flash forward four years, and the Hodags are back atop the GNC Small Division.

Rhinelander put an exclamation point on the conference season Saturday, scoring a season-high 126.8 points as it rolled to the GNC Small title during the conference meet at Lakeland Union High School.

Junior Emeline Hintz won the vault and was second in the all-around, junior Alexis Smith claimed the floor exercise and the Hodags had four gymnasts earn all-conference honors thanks to a top-three finish in at least one event. 

“To be able to have our best team score of the entire season at conference, (we) put that exclamation point on that we deserved to be conference champions this year,” coach Aschenbrenner said.

The Hodags started their day with a score of 33.375 points on floor and momentum snowballed from there. Rhinelander followed with scores that were at or near season-highs in the other three events and had the best score in the division on every apparatus Saturday.

“I think we hit every single event,” coach Aschenbrenner said. “We have to be happy with what we did today from scoring all 8s on vault, to counting all 8s on the floor, hitting our bars, hitting our beam, only having one fall on beam. I mean, we hit it today.”

    Rhinelander’s Emeline Hintz vaults during the Great Northern Conference gymnastics meet in Minocqua Saturday, Feb. 21. Hintz won the event and finished second in the individual all-around for the Hodags. (Jeremy Mayo/River News)
  

Hintz had a strong day for Rhinelander, scoring 8s in three of the four events as she finished second in the individual all-around with a score of 32.425 points. That was roughly two points off the pace of defending conference champ, Leanna Lipske of Ashland.  

Hintz started her day with a third-place finish on floor exercise (8.45) and then won the vault with an 8.525. She added a fifth-place finish on uneven bars (7.375) and was the runner-up on the balance beam (8.3).

“We knew she’s a contender,” coach Aschenbrenner said. “She’s just an all-around athlete in every event, so she can score in every event. Tough competitor in Leanna from Ashland, so we knew it would be hard to get that first-place spot, but couldn’t ask for anything more.”

    Rhinelander’s Alexis Smith jumps in front of the judges during her floor exercise routine during the Great Northern Conference gymnastics meet in Minocqua Saturday, Feb. 21. Smith won the event with a career-best score of 8.8. (Jeremy Mayo/River News)
  

Smith claimed the floor exercise with a career-high score of 8.8, edging Lipske by 0.025 points for the win in that event. Smith added a third-place showing on the vault (8.4) and finished fifth in the all-around with a career-high score of 31.35.

“She came off a sickness, had a water down routine at our last meet in Ashland, worked hard and was determined to get her routine back for this week, and she came through,” coach Aschenbrenner said.

Sophomore Addison Fish barely missed all-conference honors in the all-around. She came home fourth with a 31.75, 0.15 points behind Lakeland’s Malin Awker for third. Fish earned a spot on the all-conference team with a third-place finish on uneven bars (7.375). She added fourth-place finishes on vault and beam and was sixth on the floor. Freshman Marsadies Williams scored a runner-up finish on bars (7.5) and was sixth in the all-around (31.225). 

“I would call Addison probably our rock this season,” coach Aschenbrenner said. “She consistently got better every single meet just to show what she can do here at conference, and Marsadies being a freshman, you don’t have high expectations for freshmen, because they’re new, and this is a new experience, but wow, she really did show that she’s gonna be a force to be reckoned with.”

Rhinelander had the luxury of finishing either first or second on Saturday and still winning the overall conference title. The Hodags left no doubt, however, as they finished more than 9 1/2 points ahead of runner-up Antigo (117.225). Lakeland was third with a 115.975, followed by last year’s conference champion Ashland (87.525) and Mosinee (32.7).

It was Rhinelander’s first GNC Small title since 2018 and the team score was its best since posting a 127.15 at an invite in Escanaba, Mich. in 2012. 

While the Hodags had four gymnasts compete in the all-around, they got contributions from junior Sam Aschenbrenner on uneven bars and balance beam, junior June Chiamulera on vault and freshman Payton Walentowski on floor. 

“I had a five-year plan, and we’re in year four of that five-year plan. We’re doing well, but would never have guessed that we would have had the turnout of now juniors, join their sophomore year,” coach Aschenbrenner said. “June, for example, (competed on) varsity vault scored an 8.0 this meet. Our freshman came in super strong and then our regular varsity — Addison, Emeline, Sam, Alexis (are) doing great.”

Next up, the Hodags will head to Antigo on Friday for a WIAA Division 2 sectional meet. Not only will the team be looking for individual qualifying spots, a performance like Saturday’s could put the Hodags in the running for their first team state berth since 2005. 

A preview of the sectional meet will appear in Friday’s River News. 

Jeremy Mayo may be reached at [email protected].