The Juneau-Douglas High School: Yadaa.at Kalé Crimson Bears will put 23 athletes into the waters of the ASAA State Swim & Dive Championships at Anchorage’s Bartlett High School Pool on Friday and if all goes well most will earn positions in Saturday’s finals.
“We are extremely excited going into the state championships,” JDHS coach Josiah Loseby said. “Our team’s performances at regions were wonderful.”
Last season the Crimson Bears girls won the state team title and featured the meets Outstanding Female Swimmer, with now-defunct Thunder Mountain High School placing second and Eagle River third. On the boys’ side both TMHS and JDHS were outside the top nine, but TMHS featured the meet’s Outstanding Male swimmer.
Juneau-Douglas High School: Yadaa.at Kalé seniors Caitlin Sanders and Lucia Chapell start the 100 backstroke preliminary race at the Region V Championships last weekend in the Petersburg Aquatic Center. (Klas Stolpe / Juneau Empire)
With the two capital city schools now combined it would appear they are the favorites on the girls’ side. However, Eagle River is bringing seven of the state’s fastest event times to the waters while the Crimson Bears have two.
The JDHS girls won the 200 medley and 400 free relays last year and the 200 free, 500 free and 100 breast. Some of those key components, on both the girls’ and boys’ sides, have either graduated or committed to the national club swimming scene this season but the Crimson Bears have the numbers to again be successful.
“We have spent this short week back finalizing our preparations, both physically and mentally,” Loseby said. “And are trying to stay as healthy as possible. At this point, it’s all mental. It is the belief in themselves and in our team that will carry us forward this weekend.”
JDHS Southeast champion sophomore Amy Liddle has the state’s fastest 200 free qualifying time with 1:56.14 (top SE qualifier placings: 6. Petersburg freshman Lexie Tow 2:00.17; 10. Sitka Mia Turner 2:04.82; 14. PSG FR Bella Miller 2:07.77).
“I am very excited going into state, and I think it will be a fun and exciting experience,” Liddle said. “I have learned that the effort that I put into practice really does reflect in my swimming and I am enthusiastic to see what that will get me this weekend.”
Juneau-Douglas High School: Yadaa.at Kalé senior Matthew Godkin touches the wall as senior Matthew Plang leaves the block in the boys 200 yard freestyle relay final at the Region V Championships last weekend in the Petersburg Aquatic Center. (Klas Stolpe / Juneau Empire)
Liddle also has the fastest state qualifying time in the 500 free with 5:15.20, JDHS senior Pacific Ricke is fourth with 5:28.09, JDHS sophomore Maddox Rasmussen seventh in 5:35.64 and senior Nova Brakes-Hines 16th 5:53.46 (8. PSG Miller 5:37.79; 10. SIT Turner 5:41.02).
The JDHS Southeast champion, and defending state champion, 400 free relay team are seeded second in 3:46.46, and can draw from seniors Ricke, Lucia Chapell and Parker Boman, junior Deedee Mills, sophomores Liddle and Kennedy Miller, and freshmen Bailey Fisher and Kaelyn Szefler. The fastest time in the event belongs to Eagle River with 3:39.75.
“Through all my years of swimming, one of the most important things I have learned is that if you have a lane you have a chance,” Ricke said. “I think it is really necessary to focus on each race and enjoy the process.”
The JDHS Southeast and defending state champion girls 200 yard medley relay are seeded third with a time of 1 minute 52.80 seconds, and can pull from a field of Ricke, Boman, Chapell, Mills, Liddle, Miller, Fisher and Szefler (1. ER 1:48.93; 2. Kodiak 1:51.38; 7. PSG 1:57.01).
JDHS’ Boman is seeded fourth in the 100 breast with 1:11.14, Miller eighth 1:12.03 and sophomore Riley Soboleff 15th 1:14.74 (1. SE champ PSG Tow 1:08.30; 11. SIT Evi Rice 1:13.19).
The JDHS 200 free relay Southeast champions are seeded sixth with 1:44.60, and can draw from Chapell, Fisher, Miller, Mills, Boman, Liddle, Ricke and Szefler. (1. Defending state champ ER 1:39.46; 9. PSG 1:48.16).
JDHS SE champ Mills is seeded sixth in the 100 free with 56.21 and Fisher seventh 56.48 (1. ER SR Lola Woodward 53.37; 13. PSG JR Brooklyn Whitethorn 57.54; 18. KTN SR Myleigh Sambrano 58.96).
“I am really excited for state this year because I have been on my best time all season,” Mills said. “And I am feeling good about reaching my goal time which I have been aiming for the last two years. I would say over the years it doesn’t get easier and the nervousness never goes away, but I know I am going to try my best and not be hard on myself. My coaches and teammates really got me through it this year so I know no matter what I do or how I swim I am going to have loads of support.”
Sitka’s Mia Turner and Juneau-Douglas High School: Yadaa.at Kalé’s Amy Liddle, Racific Ricke, Maddox Rasmussen and Nova Brakes-Hines start the 500 free final at the Region V Championships last weekend in the Petersburg Aquatic Center. (Klas Stolpe / Juneau Empire)
Mills is also seeded sixth in the 100 back with 1:01.14, Ricke seventh 1:02.05, senior Caitlin Sanders eighth 1:02.52 and Chapell ninth 1:02.71 (1. ER FR Keira Gust 57.25; 5. SE champ SIT Fleming 1:00.89).
JDHS’ Chapell is seeded sixth in the 100 fly with 1:01.71, Miller eighth 1:03.16 and Szefler 13th 1:06.52 (1. Defending champ ER Woodward 57.45; 4. SE champ SIT Taryn Fleming 1:00.08; 16. CRG Sabrina Nelson 1:08.14).
JDHS Southeast 50 free champ Fisher is seeded seventh in 25.70 (1. Defending state champ Kodiak SR Amaya Roceleau 24.27; 11. PSG Whitethorn 25.99; 14. KTN Sambrano 26.44).
JDHS sophomore Southeast champ Moira Bahn is seeded 12th and sophomore Adeline Williams 17th in diving with 284.25 and 223.25, respectively (1. South Anchorage SR Emma Marsh 431.25).
JDHS Southeast champ Boman and Soboleff are 14th and 17th in the 200 IM with 2:30.79 and 2:35.04, respectively (1. ER JR Reese Woodward 2:10.03).
The JDHS boys placed 16th last season as a team and TMHS was 10th. KTN was the top Southeast team at fifth and Service won the title overwhelmingly. The Crimson Bears have a strong chance to rebound from their runner-up finish last week at regions and replace Kayhi in the top five. Eagle River has five of the state’s fastest boys entry times with Colony and Service close behind.
JDHS senior Southeast champ Matthew Plang is seeded third in the 100 breast with 1:00.14 and sophomore Josh Edwards 11th in 1:05.64 (1. ER SR Eli Rumph 57.98; 5. KTN JR Gavin Harold 1:02.28; 7. KTN SO Max Meredith 1:03.08).
“I am very excited for this weekend as I get to see my friends from all over the state and race lots of fast people,” Plang said. “Over the years I have learned that if I am not having fun I am not able to swim my best. So with that I always focus on enjoying my time on the trip and the pool and that is when I produce my best times.”
The JDHS 200 free relay Southeast champions are seeded fifth with 1:32.84, and can draw from seniors Plang, Owen Rumsey, Matthew Godkin, Cole Reel and Nolan Noel, junior Clive Mateo, sophomore Josh Edwards and freshman Liam Kiessling. Defending state champ ER is seeded first 1:27.99 (8. KTN 1:37.34).
Eagle River has the fastest 200 MR in 1:35.33. JDHS is fifth at 1:39.88, and can pull from Plang, Godkin, Reel, Rumsey, Mateo, Edwards and Kiessling (4. SE champ KTN 1:39.85; 7. SIT 1:43.60).
JDHS senior Paul Smith is sixth in diving at 359.80 and SO Berger Easton 10th with 316.35 (1. Wasilla SR Travis Thornton 502.90; 3. KTN SE champ JR Liam Woodward 403.25; 5. KTN SR Clayton Huff 370.90).
JDHS Southeast champ Plang is seeded eighth in the 50 free with 22.52 (1. SER SR Tomasz Balaban 21.33; 10. SIT Corin Colliver 22.72; 14. JDHS Godkin 23.40; 16. KTN Woodward 23.69).
JDHS’ Kiessling is seeded eighth in the 100 back with 58.15 (1. Defending state champ Mank ER 49.50; 4. CRG SE champ Grant Maygren 54.50; 6. KTN SO Parker Hagan 57.05; 10. KTN SR Easton Yoder 58.97; 18. SIT Elliott Galanin 1:02.76).
JDHS’ Godkin is ninth in the 100 fly with 55.76 (1. COL JR Isaiah Hulien 51.06; 3. SE champ KTN JR Evan Dash 52.12; 11. SIT Tommy McCarthy 56.02; 16. KTN JR Eli Lundburg 59.69; 17. CRG Patrick Gardner 59.81).
JDHS is seeded ninth in the 400 free relay with 3:35.62, and can draw from Plang, Rumsey, Godkin, Mateo, Reel, Edwards, Kiessling, and junior Vincent Hayes (1. Colony 3:18.82; 3. Southeast champ KTN 3:21.44; 5. SIT 3:24.13).
JDHS’ Edwards is 12th in the 200 IM in 2:08.12 and Kiessling 18th at 2:14.82 (1. ER SR Wes Mank 1:55.11; 3. SIT SE champ Zach Martens 2:03.54; 4. KTN Harold 2:03.54; 9. CRG Maygren 2:07.60; 11. KTN SO Kaden Aldrich 2:08.00; 17. KTN Meredith 2:11.87).
JDHS’ Hayes is seeded 18th in the 500 free with 5:33.04 (1. Kodiak JR Cody Hubert 4:49.32; 5. PSG SE champ JR Logan Tow 4:57.01; 6. SIT Martens 4:57.20; 10. SIT Phin Edwards 5:21.54; 13. KTN JR JP Robbins 5:25.84; 14. SIT Henrey Ward 5:26.37).
JDHS has no qualifier in the 100 free. Defending state champ Ben Price of Service is at 46.54 (6. KTN SE champ Hagan 49.25; 10. SIT Colliver 49.70; 16. KTN Aldrich 52.66; 18. SIT James Nellis 53.63).
JDHS has no qualifier in the 200 free. Chugiak junior Blake Fazio is fastest at 1:45.24 (4. KTN SE champ Dash 1:47.94; 5. PSG Tow 1:48.38; 9. SIT McCarthy 1:50.61; 17. KTN Robbins 1:59.51).
“We have prepared and worked so hard for each other these last three months,” coach Loseby said. “I believe in us and I know our athletes do too.”
The 2024 state championship preliminary swim and dive events begin at 1 p.m. Friday. Saturday dive semifinals are at 9:30 a.m. Saturday followed by swim and dive finals beginning at 1 p.m.
• Contact Klas Stolpe at klas.stolpe@juneauempire.com.
