STAR JOURNAL REPORT

Rhinelander High School senior girls swimmer Kiah Francis has qualified for state in two individual events and a pair of relays.

At Saturday’s Division 2 Sectional at the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point, Francis won both the 200-yard individual medley (2 minutes, 6.74 seconds) and 100 breaststroke (1:05.34). Francis, who placed runner-up at state last year in both events, enters Friday’s Division 2 State Meet at the UW-Madison Natatorium with the fastest sectional times in those two events.

Francis is also part of both of the Hodags’ relay teams to qualify this year for state with a pair of third-place finishes at the sectional. She joined sophomores Maddie Quinn and Grace Heck and freshman Marisa McGuire in the 200 medley relay (1:55.7) and Heck, McGuire and junior Taylor Macak in the 200 freestyle (1:42.91).

Each sectional champion automatically advanced to state as well as the next 12-fastest individuals/relay teams (not including the sectional winners) from all four of the Division 2 sectionals in each event.

RHS, which finished seventh out of 15 teams at the UWSP Division 2 Sectional with 178 points, didn’t have any additional state qualifiers with another relay and three other individual top-10 finishes.

McGuire placed fifth in the 200 freestyle (2:08.28) and seventh in the 100 freestyle (58.41), Heck came in sixth in the 50 freestyle (26.0) and Quinn and Macak joined junior Carly Seidl and Taylor Hollands to end up 10^th in the 400 freestyle relay (4:14.37).

Tomahawk won the sectional team title with 307 points, while Ladysmith/Bruce/Flambeau finished runner-up at 294.

UWSP D2 SECTIONAL

Team scores: Tomahawk 307, Ladysmith/Bruce/Flambeau 294, River Falls 236, Rice Lake 212, Menomonie 203, Medford 188, Rhinelander 178, Black River Falls/Blair-Taylor 140, Wittenberg-Birnamwood 123, Clintonville 110, Antigo 63, Merrill 55, Colby/Abbotsford 51, Lakeland 51, Marinette 35.