Team review: RHS boys’ swimming

Eight was a magic number for the Rhinelander High School boys’ swim team during the 2025-26 season.

The Hodags won their eighth consecutive Great Northern Conference title in early February and followed that up one week later by claiming the team’s eighth straight WIAA Division 2 sectional crown.

The Hodags went on to the WIAA state meet with a squad of eight participating swimmers and, naturally, came home with an eighth-place finish. 

While that eighth at state represents a drop in performance following four straight top-three finishes in Waukesha, considering how the Hodags had to retool their roster this year, that proved to be a successful finish. 

“Eighth was great,” coach Jenny Heck said. “There were years nobody qualified for state. The part I enjoyed most is watching the growth of each swimmer in and out of the pool. This unique group of swimmers brought an energy and joy which was challenging yet very rewarding. The coaches are very proud of what this group has learned and applied to make them not only better athletes but better people — the ultimate goal.” 

While eight was a big number, there was another that proved important for the Hodags — 14. That was the number of swimmers the team had on the roster this year, all of whom played a part in Rhinelander’s eighth straight conference title. Thirteen of those 14 finished on the podium during Rhinelander’s sectional title win as well. 

Here are five key storylines from the recently completed season.

Setting the expectation

Two podium finishes at state, nine state entries and an eighth-place finish in Waukesha would be considered a banner year for most programs. For it to be considered a “down” season for the Hodags underscores the team’s exceptional run of success that has lasted nearly a decade. 

Entering the season, Heck said she was hopeful her team could finish in the top 10 at state. That was far from a guarantee considering there were no seniors on the roster, and only three swimmers back with previous state meet experience. 

Still Heck said the team approached the season the same way it has the past several — train hard, have fun, prepare for the end of the season and let the chips fall where they may.

“We weren’t sure really how the season would go, how we would develop, but the goal is always the same every year — and that’s to take a team we have, work hard, increase our strength, become better in the water, technically, get stronger and be the best that we can be as a team,” Heck said during the team’s banquet earlier this month. “The goal has always been the same every year that we have been coaching. And I think that you guys just showed what you can do if you stick together and work together as a team.”

Conference

It was apparent from the start that the Hodags still had more than enough depth to be the odds-on favorite in the Great Northern Conference. The Hodags won every dual and double dual meet, winning virtually every race in the process. 

Once again the question going into the conference meet wasn’t if the Hodags would win, it was by how many points.

That answer wound up being by 149 over runner-up Shawano. The Hodags dominated the meet by winning 10 of the 11 events — the lone exception being the 500-yard freestyle. 

Sophomore Dean Gillingham led the charge. He was one of three four-event winners for Rhinelander on the night — joined by juniors Judson O’Malley and Charlie Antonuk. Gillingham broke the conference record in the 100 breaststroke and was voted as the conference’s swimmer of the year.

Overall, Rhinelander garnered 21 of the 33 possible spots on the all-conference team and all 14 members of the squad were all-conference in at least one event. 

“It was really fun. It never gets old, and to continue the winning tradition has been super fun,” Heck said. “I think we had something great happen in every single event. I really could talk about each and every one of them and something special, they all did. Definitely a group effort and a ton of fun.”

Sectionals

    In this Feb. 14, 2026 file photo, Rhinelander Judson O’Malley swims the breaststroke portion of the 200-yard individual medley during a WIAA Division 2 boys’ swim sectional meet in Rice Lake. O’Malley, a junior, placed in the top eight at the WIAA state meet in all four of his events. (Jeremy Mayo/River News)
  

Rhinelander’s bid for an eighth straight sectional title was far from a shoo-in. Ashwaubenon edged the Hodags when the two squads meet for an invite in Ashwaubenon back on Jan. 10. 

While the Hodags returned the favor when the teams meet again six days later in Appleton, the Jaguars entered last month’s sectional hot on Rhinelander’s heels, projected to finish just 20 points behind the Hodags. 

The projections proved true to form as not only team Ashwaubenon pose a threat to the Hodags’ sectional eighth-peat, the Jaguars led the sectional meet much of the way. 

Rhinelander thrust itself ahead by placing four swimmers in the top eight in the penultimate event, the 100-yard breaststroke, and went on to edge Ashwaubenon by 15 points for the title. 

The win was a true team effort. The Hodags won only two events on the day — Gillingham claimed the 200 individual medley and Rhinelander took the 200 medley relay with Gillingham, Antonuk, freshman Kellen O’Malley and freshman Elias Simonsen — but all 13 swimmers who competed in the meet finished in the top eight at least once.

“This probably was one of the most fun wins I think I’ve ever had — and we’ve had some really good wins along the way,” Heck said. “When you have the whole team jumping in like that and helping everybody and pushing each other in that common goal, there’s nothing better.”

State

    Rhinelander sophomore Dean Gillingham performs the breaststroke portion of the 200-yard individual medley during the WIAA Division 2 state boys’ swimming and diving championships Friday, Feb. 20, 2026 in Waukesha. Gillingham finished seventh in the IM and third in the 100-yard breaststroke as the Hodags finished eighth at state. (Dave Radcliffe/Waukesha Freeman)
  

The Hodags shuffled some of their relays around for the state meet, and that worked to get the 200 medley relay on the podium. Judson O’Malley, Gillingham, Antonuk and Kellen O’Malley took fourth in that event.

Rhinelander just missed the podium with Judson O’Malley, Antonuk, Gillingham and Elias Simonsen in the 200 freestyle relay, taking seventh, and the Hodags got top-10 finishes from Gillingham in the 100 breaststroke (third) and the 200 individual medley (seventh); Judson O’Malley in the IM (eighth) and the 100 backstroke (eighth) and Antonuk in the 100 butterfly (10th).

That left the Hodags with an inexperienced 400 freestyle relay. Though the squad of first-time qualifiers Kellen O’Malley, sophomore Daniel Meier, sophomore Matthew Wood and junior Chris Larson finish 16th in the race, that finish was just enough to vault the Hodags past The Prairie School for eighth in the final standings.

“Guys had that chance to experience the state meet, that’s why they come down here,” Heck said. “We got those two points, and we would have been ninth otherwise. If we didn’t get that, those guys in there swimming, those are points that put us over from ninth to eighth. So we’re really appreciative of their work. It’s a lot of great experience and it prepares you for other things down the road.”

What’s next

In 2021 the Hodags had a young squad that finished ninth at the state meet. That group improved to a third place finish the following year, which began a run of four straight top-three finishes at state which culminated in the D2 state title in 2023. 

While a top-three finish next year is no guarantee — especially with the WIAA expanding Division 2 and increasing the number of swimmers who qualify for the state meet — everyone on this year’s Hodag roster will be back another year stronger and another year faster.

“I think it gets people excited … It’s time to set new goals right away because consistency is what wins and developing new goals and right away and shooting for those,” Heck said. “It’s not a three-month sport. It starts soon again, probably another week or so after a short break. I think they all have high goals and more experience and that’s all the reasons that we do the things we do.”

Jeremy Mayo may be reached at [email protected].