WRSC hosted home invite and raised funds for a swim family

WISCONSIN RAPIDS – The Wisconsin Rapids Swim Club hosted the first home invitation on Jan. 25 at the Lincoln High School Natatorium. Swim clubs attending were Rhinelander, Minocqua, Antigo, Black River Falls, and Merrill. The meet was an overwhelming success thanks to the dedication of the Kraken Swim Club Board and volunteer parents. There were 288 swimmers competing on this day.
The meet started the morning with an amazing rendition of the National Anthem by Lincoln High School graduate Sarah Hanson, class of 1994. Sarah’s granddaughter is a member of the Kraken’s swim team. The invite continued through the day with some exciting finishes as 44 Rapids swimmers participated. “I am so very proud to be working with the swimmers, assistant coaches, Rec Department, Lincoln High School, board members, and the parents of Wisconsin Rapids,” said Head Coach Dave Kontz. “I have been coaching for 50 years now; I have never been part of as dynamic event as I was today.”
The WRSC received news that a young swimmer and her family, from the Bay Area Swim Club, while enroute to a previous swim meet, were in a head-on collision. During the meet, the Krakens provided get well cards for swimmers from all the teams to write and collected signed team hats. All of these items will be delivered to the Bay Area family by Rapids volunteers. The Krakens also donated $518 from the proceeds of the meet to help the family.
The Kraken swimmers participated beyond expectations capturing 18 first places with 11 second place awards, while setting eleven new club records and 44 personal records swims. Some of the existing races of the day included the “come from behind” win in the 13-14 girls 200 Medley Relay and the boys 10 and under boys 200 Freestyle Relay, the 1st, 2nd, 3rd, and 4th finish by the senior boys in the 50yd Freestyle, and finally, the 1-2 finish in the boys senior 100yd freestyle.
First place winners: Travis McMahon in the 50yd and 500yd Freestyle, 50yd Breaststroke with a new Club Record (CR); Emery Jennings, 50yd Butterfly; Anna Gumz, 25yd Breaststroke (CR); Tretton Delaney, 50yd and 100yd Freestyle, 200yd Individual Medley; Jameson Bernette, 100yd Breaststroke, Joey Doebereiner, 50yd Backstroke; Addison Borek, 50yd Breaststroke (CR).

Second place winners: Milo Jennings, 50yd Freestyle; Aubrey Knoll, 50yd Backstroke; Mason Ironside, 50yd Backstroke; AJ Plummer, 50yd Freestyle; Joey Doebereiner, 100yd Freestyle; Lilly Reetz, 50yd Breaststroke.
Third place winners: Vivian Zacher, 50yd Freestyle (CR); Lilly Reetz, 50yd Freestyle, Josiah O’Day, 50yd Freestyle; Kasia Jestadt, 100yd Individual Medley; Reese Koch, 100yd and 500yd Freestyle; Mackenzie Miloch, 50yd Breastroke; Chasten Delaney, 50yd Breaststroke; Mya Marquard, 200yd Backstroke (CR); Elyxa Peck, 200yd Individual Medley.
Fourth places winners: Emry Jennings, 50yd Freestyle and Backstroke; Nigel Schultz, 100yd Individual Medley, 50yd and 100yd Breaststroke; Brody Slabosheski, 50yd Freestyle; Milo Jennings, 50yd Backstroke; Elyxa Peck, 50yd Freestyle; Joey Doebereiner, 50yd Freestyle; Jameson Bernette, 100yd Individual Medley; Reese Koch, 50yd Butterfly; Elyza Peck, 100yd Freestyle; Gavin Knoll, 100yd Freestyle; Willow Devine, 50yd Backstroke; Payton Kraklow, 100yd Backstroke; Allyson Coats, 100yd Backstroke and Breaststroke.
Fifth place winners: Cole Graumann, 50yd Freestyle; Abbie Graumann, 200yd Freestyle; Milo Jennings, 25yd Backstroke; Jameson Bernette, 50yd Freestyle; Addison Borek, 100yd Individual Medley (CR); Kyndel Borek, 50yd and 200yd Breaststroke (CR); Willow Devine, 100yd Freestyle; Mackenzie Miloch, 200yd Individual Medley.
Sixth place winners: Milo Jennings, 25yd Freestyle; Emry Jennings, 50yd Freestyle; Cole Graumann, 25yd and 50yd Backstroke; Kensington Lercher, 50yd Backstroke; Vivian Zacker, 100yd Individual Medley; Claira Jennings, 200yd Breaststroke; Chris Carlson, 100yd Backstroke and Freestyle (CR); Payton Kraklow, 50yd Backstroke.
The Krakens had two swimmers in their very first swim meet. Wyatt Hamilton placed thirteenth in the 50yd Freestyle, eighth in the 100yd Freestyle, and eleventh in the 50yd Backstroke. Es’stella Spees placed seventeenth in the 25yd Freestyle, and fourteenth in the 25yd Backstroke.
The morning session was completed with the age group relays. The boys 200 Medley Relay placed first and set a new club record (CR) with Mason Ironside, Nigel Schultz, Travis McMahon, and Emry Jennings. The boys 100yd Freestyle relay placed second with Cole Graumann, Cody Graumann, Brody Slabosheski, and Milo Jennings.
The girls 200 Medley Relay “B” placed fourth with Aubrey Knoll, Annabelle Graumann, Abbie Graumann, and Rhiannon Zabawa. The Girls 200 Freestyle Relay “A” relay placed third with Abbie Graumann, Anna Gumz, Kensington Lercher, and Janessa Rucinski. The “B” relay placed fifth with Annabelle Graumann, Emma Kay, Rhiannon Zabawa, and Aubrey Knoll. The Freestyle Relay “A” placed third with Abbie Graumann, Anna Gumz, Kensington Lercher, and Janessa Rucinski. The “B” relay placed fifth with Annabelle Graumann, Emma Kay, Rhiannon Zabawa, and Aubrey Knoll.
The afternoon session was completed with the middle and high school group relays. The senior girls 200 Medley Relay placed third and the Freestyle Relay placed fourth with Lilly Reetz, Allyson Coates, Elyxa Peck, and Kasia Jestadt. The pre-high school 200 Medley Relay placed first and Freestyle Relay placed second with Willow Devine, Addison Boreck, Reeses Koch, and Vivian Zacher (CR). The middle school “A” placed second with Mackenzie Miloch, Claira Jennings, Mya Marquard, and McKenna Anderson (CR). The “B” relay placed third with SundayRose Matthews, Kynel Borek, Maelyn VanAsten, and Kali Bernette. The middle school “A” placed second with Mackenzie Miloch, Claira Jennings, Mya Marquard, and Kynel Borek (CR). The “B” relay placed fourth with SundayRose Matthews, Maelyn VanAsten, Kali Bernette, and McKenna Anderson.
The boys Senior 200 Medley Relay and Freestyle Relay placed first with AJ Plummer, Tretton Delaney, Joey Doebereiner, and Josiah O’Day. The middle school boys 200 Freestyle Relay placed first with Chasten Delaney, Gavin Bernette, Chris Carlson, and Jameson Bernette.
The WRSC will close out the winter season with the Divisional Meet which was held in Minocqua on Feb. 1-2. The top six finishers from each event will move on to the Conference Championships which will be held in Tomahawk on Feb. 8-9.