Raiders see some improved times against impressive squad

MEDFORD GIRLS SWIMMING

The Medford Raiders could very well finish second in the Great Northern Conference for the third straight girls swim season. A Sept. 28 meet with the Ladysmith Co-op will play a big role in determining that.

The fact that both teams lost by identical scores of 134-36 to Rhinelander in back-to-back weeks shows just how dominant this year’s Hodags are.

Medford took its turn feeling Rhinelander’s wrath Thursday at the MASH pool, breaking up the Hodags’ bid for a perfect score by earning a tie for second place in the 200-yard freestyle relay and getting five third-place finishes in individual events.

While the score wasn’t pretty, Medford did get some improved times and strong individual efforts against a team that figures to be in the mix for the WIAA’s Division 2 gold trophy in November.

“Props to them,” Medford head coach Morgan Wilson said. “They have some really incredible swimmers over there. They showed it. They brought it, just like they do every time. But we did see some good stuff from our girls. That’s the best that we can ask for. We told them before the meet, be positive and do your best and we did see some really good times.”

Senior Colby Bergman was one of those swimmers who shined. She broke the six-minute barrier in the 500-yard freestyle for the first time this fall with her time of 5:59.51, good for third place, and she took third in the 200-yard freestyle at a season-best 2:14.92.

“Colby broke under six minutes and she even was feeling really sick today, so we’re really proud about that kind of persevering and pushing through,” Wilson said.

Junior Sydney Sperl had a solid day, taking third in the 100-yard butterfly in a season-best 1:07.98 and third in the 50yard freestyle in a season-best 26.65 seconds. Her 58-second anchor leg helped the 400-yard freestyle relay team of Layla Petersen, Jolie Steliga, Bergman and Sperl take third in 4:11.65.

“That was awesome,” Wilson said of Sperl’s butterfly. “And I don’t think she’s gotten a 26 before in the 50. Nice to see her in the 26-range and she looked good in her 400 relay leg too. Some of the girls, at the end of the meet they’re tired. To see her do a 58 that’s really awesome to see.”

Rhinelander’s Karis Francis won the 500-yard freestyle in an impressive earlyseason time of 5:19.11. Medford’s Ady Dittrich (6:20.64) and Tana Rappe (6:37.37) were fifth and sixth. Kodi Rappe (2:23.55) and Mackenzie Petersen (2:31.74) were fifth and sixth in the 200-yard freestyle, won by Hodag Emma Houg in 2:10.66.

Francis won the 50-yard freestyle in 25.33 seconds, while Ellyse Younker was 0.28 seconds ahead of Sperl. Jordyn Johnson (28.74) and Cadance Haenel (30.41) were fifth and sixth for Medford. Layla Petersen was fifth in the butterfly at a season-best 1:14.69 and Breanna Kraemer was sixth in 1:18.98. Abishea Winnicki won the race in 59.7 seconds.

Chelsea Gebauer got Medford’s other individual third with a time of 1:16.03 in the 100-yard breaststroke. Johnson was fifth in a much-improved 1:22.64 and Paige Wilkins was sixth in 1:38.1. Celia Francis won for Rhinelander in 1:10.79.

Medford’s team of Kodi Rappe, Johnson, Steliga and Gebauer earned the second-place tie in the 200-yard freestyle relay, equaling the 1:55.17 posted by Rhinelander’s B team. The Hodags’ A team won in 1:47.07. Medford’s Jackie Williams, Haenel, Dittrich and Bergman were fourth in 1:57.28 and the team of Paige Wilkins, Chloe Pipkorn, Jayda Fryklund and Mackenzie Petersen was fifth in 2:16.33. In the 400, Kraemer, Tana Rappe, Dittrich and Kodi Rappe took fifth in 4:35.38, while Mackenzie Petersen, Fryklund, Kassidy Janda and Haenel were sixth at 4:53.35. Rhinelander’s top team finished in 3:45.12.

Sperl, Gebauer, Layla Petersen and Steliga took third in the 200-yard medley relay in 2:05.05, while Dittrich, Johnson, Kraemer and Tana Rappe got fifth in 2:16.46 and Pipkorn, Wilkins, Haenel and Janda were sixth in 2:31.49. Rhinelander’s top two teams finished in 1:51.27 and 1:58.91.

Gebauer swam the 200-yard individual medley for the first time this season and took fourth in 2:36.31, while Layla Petersen (2:42.16) and Williams (2:48.59) were fifth and sixth. Kraemer swam the 100-yard backstroke in 1:10.46, just off her season-best, to take fourth, while Kodi Rappe (1:18.19) and Janda (1:21.48) were fifth and sixth. Steliga placed fourth in the 100-yard freestyle at 1:06.42 and Janda was fifth at 1:10.22. Fryklund (1:13.19) and Pipkorn (1:20.63) were first and second in the JV 100-yard race.

“Hopefully this was a good learning experience for the girls, seeing what could be at sectionals, what will be at sectionals, or where there’s a good spot to try to climb up and be a little closer next time,” Wilson said. “We even put some girls in some things they didn’t swim yet just because we wanted to see. We’re using this time to kind of mix it up and find that sweet spot for the end of the year. There’s definitely some good things that came out of tonight, some things where we’re like, yes, we want to see that girl again or maybe we want to try something else.”

Now 1-1 in the GNC, Medford hosts a Tomahawk team that is off to a 2-0 start tonight, Thursday, at the MASH pool at 5:30 p.m. The Raiders will be at Colby-Abbotsford, another 2-0 team early on, next Thursday, Sept. 21.

“We’ll just keep pushing, keep getting better day by day,” Wilson said. “We’ll see (the Hodags) again twice and maybe we can be a little closer in those times.”