Brown Street was closed Saturday while the 2023 Division 2 swimming champion Hodags celebrated with the community upon their return. The state meet was held Friday, Nov. 10 at the Waukesha South Natatorium. Rhinelander cruised to the title with 308 points; runner up Whitefish Bay had 221 points and Edgewood finished in third with 208 points. Bob Mainhardt photo

Hodag girls swim team 2023 D2 state champs

STATS AND PHOTOS BY BOB MAINHARDT

WAUKESHA – After winning all 11 events at the sectional meet, and sending 19 entries to the state meet, the Hodags finished the season by winning the Division 2 state meet at the Waukesha South Natatorium on Friday.

The Hodags won six of the 11 swimming events, sweeping the three relays and taking the 200 yard IM, 100 yard butterfly, and 100 yard breaststroke.

The winning 200 yard medley relay – consisting of Celia and Karis Francis, Ellyse Younker and Lily Thorsen also placed the girls in the top 10 finishes at number four in the history of the event in the state.

Also cracking the top 10 was Karis Francis at number seven in the 100 yard butterfly with a time of 56.05 winning by .4 seconds. 

There were several close finishes that went the way of the Hodags with Celia Francis winning the 200 yard IM by .03 seconds. The 200 yard freestyle relay team of Vivian Lamers, Millie Gruett, Ellyse Younker and Abi Winnicki won by .18 seconds. Freshman Celia Francis was out-touched in the 100 yard backstroke by .07 seconds to take second place. Senior Karis Francis out-touched a swimmer from Stoughton by .01 seconds to win the 100 yard breaststroke.

The largest margin for the Hodags was in the 400 yard freestyle relay with a winning time of 3:30.61 putting them in ninth place all time with more than a six second margin over Whitefish Bay, the second place overall school at the meet.

The Hodags finished the meet with 308 points, 87 points over second place Whitefish Bay and 100 points over perennial power Madison Edgewood.

Top finisher for the Hodags was Karis Francis. Francis won the 100 yard butterfly and breaststroke events and was part of the winning 200 IM and 200 yard freestyle relays. Celia Francis placed second in the 100 yard backstroke and first in the 200 yard IM, 200 yard medley and 400 yard freestyle relays.

Senior Abi Winnicki swam her last high school meet as part of two winning relays, a second place finish in the 100 yard freestyle and third in the 200 yard freestyle.

Coach Jenny Heck receives the first place trophy.

The team and coaches celebrate in the pool with the first place trophy.

Abi Winnicki swam the anchor leg of the winning 400 yard freestyle relay.

Freshman Celia Francis finished first in the 200 yard IM and here, is swimming the butterfly lap of the event.

Karis Francis finished in first place by .01 seconds in the 100 yard breaststroke.

Freshman Vivian Lamers starts her 50 yard freestyle. Lamers placed third in the event.

June Chiamulera, a freshman, swam the 100 yard freestyle and placed 14th.

Ellyse Younker swims the butterfly leg of the winning 200 yard medley relay.

Lily Thorsen finished second in her heat of the 200 yard IM and eighth overall.

Millie Gruett swam the 100 yard butterfly and placed tenth.

The Hodags had Emma Houg swimming the 500 yard freestyle.

Freshman Ella Heck was one of three Hodags swimming the 100 yard breaststroke.