BOYS SWIMMING: Nolan Francis advances to state in 4 events
Hodags 5th at Stevens Point Sectional
STAR JOURNAL REPORT
Rhinelander sophomore boys swimmer Nolan Francis has advanced to state in four events.
At Saturday’s WIAA Division 2 Sectional at the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point, Francis won both the 200-yard individual medley (1 minute, 59.89 seconds) and 100 butterfly (54.27).
He also qualified for state in two relays. Francis joined sophomore Russell Benoy and freshmen Thaddeus Heck and David King to place second in the 200 medley relay (1:45.28) and Benoy, sophomore Martin Hoger and freshman Devon Gaber for a fifth-place finish in the 200 freestyle relay (1:35.01).
The winners from each event at the four Division 2 sectionals qualified for state along with the fastest 12 individuals/relays not among the sectional winners.
Going into Friday’s WIAA Division 2 State Meet at the UW-Madison Natatorium, Francis holds the fourth-fastest qualifying time in the 200 individual medley and is also the sixth-fastest qualifier in the 100 butterfly. He is slated to swim in the second and fastest heat of both events at state.
Brown Deer/University School of Milwaukee junior Ben Hayes has the fastest qualifying time in the 200 individual medley at 1:53.96, while Monona Grove junior Eric Storms is the top qualifier in the 100 butterfly at 51.14.
The Hodags’ 200 medley relay team clocked the 12th-fastest qualifying time. Ashwaubenon recorded the top qualifying time at 1:37.37. RHS’s 200 freestyle relay team, which was 51-hundredths of a second behind Lakeland Union High School’s winning sectional time, is the 16th and final state qualifier. Monona Grove is the top qualifier at 1:28.43.
RHS 5TH OUT OF 11 TEAMS
Of the 11 teams at the Stevens Point Sectional, the Hodags placed fifth. Lakeland had the top score of 305, followed by River Falls (303), Shawano (236), Pulaski (235) and RHS (216) rounding out the top five.
Among RHS’s top individual finishers who didn’t qualify for state, the Hodags recorded third-place finishes from both Benoy in the 100 freestyle (51.6) and Heck in the 100 breaststroke (1:07.57). Benoy added a fourth-place finish in the 50 freestyle (23.33).
RHS’s other top-eight finishes included King placing seventh in the 100 butterfly (59.89) and eighth in the 100 backstroke (1:03.91).
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