STAR JOURNAL REPORT

It came down to the final event Thursday when the Rhinelander High School boys swimming team lost its Great Northern Conference home dual meet to Antigo, 83-78.

The Hodags trailed by only a point going into the 400-yard freestyle relay when RHS sophomores Devon Gaber and David King and juniors Martin Hoger and Russell Benoy finished 5.6 seconds behind the Red Robins’ winning time of 3 minutes, 40.21 seconds.

The other two relays were won by the Hodags with freshman Joseph Heck, sophomore Thaddeus Heck, King and Benoy in the 200 medley relay (1:51.8); and Joseph Heck, Thaddeus Heck, Gaber and Hoger in the 200 freestyle relay (1:40.46).

Of the eight individual events, the Hodags placed first in five of them and added four runner-up finishes.

Benoy won both the 50 freestyle (23.63) and 100 freestyle (53.93). RHS’s other individual winners included: King, 100 butterfly (59.55); Thaddeus Heck, 100 breaststroke (1:09.36); and Hoger, 100 backstroke (1:08.71).

The Hodags’ individual runner-up finishers included: Hoger, 200 freestyle (2:09.04); King, 200 individual medley (2:17.51); Gaber, 50 freestyle (25.54); and Joseph Heck, 100 breaststroke (1:11.44).

RHS, which is now 1-2 in conference dual meets, returns to action Saturday when the Hodags host an invitational at the Heck Family Community Pool.