RHS Sports recap: Friday, Feb. 27

Girls’ basketball: Rhinelander 42, Pulaski 27

The Rhinelander High School girls’ basketball team led nearly wire-to-wire Friday night as it secured its first WIAA tournament win since 2023, defeating Pulaski 42-27 in a WIAA D2 regional semifinal at the Jim Miazga Community Gymnasium.

The Hodags took control during a 19-3 run in the first half and led 23-10 at the break. Pulaski cut the lead to nine on two separate occasions in the second half but was unable to draw closer. 

Aubryn Clark led the Hodags with 18 points while Teagan Clark and Vivian Lamers had nine each. Olivia Sprangers paced Pulaski with 16. 

The Hodags (15-10) will travel to second-seeded Marinette for a regional final Saturday. Game time will be 7 p.m.

Gymnastics: Rhinelander 2nd/8, WIAA D2 Sectionals

The Rhinelander High School gymnastics team is state bound for the first time since 2005. 

The Hodags posted a season-high total of 127.125 points to finish second at a WIAA Division 2 sectional Friday night in Antigo, qualifying for the WIAA team state meet in the process. The Hodags had the best score of the night on balance beam and vault and finished 4.375 points ahead of Valders for the final transfer spot.

In addition to qualifying for the team portion of the state meet, three gymnasts made it to the individual state meet thanks to top-five performances on Friday. 

Junior Emeline Hintz became Rhinelander’s first individual qualifier in the all-around since 2013 as she placed third (32.325). She also qualified on the balance beam with a third-place finish (8.675). Junior Alexis Smith was the sectional champion on vault (8.7) and narrowly missed joining Hintz in the all-around, trying for sixth. Freshman Marsadies Williams finished fifth on both uneven bars (7.325) and balance beam (7.975), qualifying in both of those events. 

The team portion of the state meet will take place Friday, March 6 in Wisconsin Rapids, with the individual competition taking place Saturday, March 7.

Wrestling: Rhinelander at WIAA state girls’ meet

Rhinelander junior Cassidy Lindner suffered a technical fall to Arcadia’s Kalyce Sobotta Friday morning, knocking her out of the WIAA individual girls’ state tournament in Madison. 

Lindner (50-8) failed to make the placement rounds after going 0-2 in the tournament.

Full reports will be published in Tuesday’s River News.