Glacier Swim Club athlete Valerie Peimann, 16, set a new club record at last weekend’s 2025 Alaska Senior Championships in Soldotna and along with Emma Fellman, 18, topped the women’s high-point totals, as GSC’s 11 swimmers placed second in the women’s team standings and 10th in the men’s for a combined fifth place overall.
“I’m so excited to have set a new GSC record in the 1,000 free,” Peimann said. “The record was previously held by Kristin Jones who I know and often swam with a couple months ago, so to be able to break her record is really special to me. I originally had planned to just try and keep up with some of the other swimmers in the race, but I felt really good 200 yards in so I decided to push the pace and break away from them.”
Peimann’s 10 minute 32.53 seconds time in the 1,000 freestyle broke Jones’ mark that had stood for 20 years as a 15/16 age group time and 18 years as an open time. Teammate Pacific Ricke (age 17) placed fourth in the race with 11:25.67 and Maddox Rasmussen (15) ninth in 12:24.55.
Peimann also topped the women’s scoring point totals for the meet with 91.50 and Fellman was second with 83.
“It felt really good to get that recognition,” Peimann said. “It’s super cool to realize that a bunch of my teammates and myself included are among the top swimmers in the state.”
Chugiak’s Reese Woodward (16) was third in points total with 71, Chugiak’s Lelaina Trembath (15) fourth with 64 and Chugiak’s Zoe Pencil (17) fifth with 59.
GSC’s Lily Francis (16) was eighth with 46 points; teammate Ricke (17) 10th with 44; teammate Lucia Chappell (18) 20th with 18; teammate Cora Soboleff (13) 22nd with 16; and teammates Rasmussen (15) and Caitlin Sanders (17) 39th with seven. Katya Foy (13) also competed for GSC.
“For me I don’t really think about top points much,” Fellman said. “I just try and put all my focus into my events, and getting the best times that I can.”
GSC’s Levi J. Phelps (14) was 31st in the men’s points totals with 10; Chugiak’s Wes Mank (17) topped the men’s with 96; Ketchikan Killer Whales’ Evan Dash (17) 11th with 44; Baranof Barracudas Swim Club’s Ben Limo (13) 24th with 17; and Haines Dolphins Swim Team’s McConnell Robinson (15) 43rd with three. Andy Huffer (13) also competed for GSC.
The GSC girls 800-yard freestyle relay team of Fellman, Peimann, Ricke and Lily Francis (16) won in 7:56.23. The GSC girls B relay team of Chapell, Soboleff, Rasmussen and Sanders placed fourth in the race with 8:40.50.
“Relays are always really exciting and competitive and we have a great group of girls which makes it super fun!,” Fellman said. “I only have a couple of meets left with them so getting to be on these relays is really special.”
Sanders, Fellman, Peimann and Francis won the 200 freestyle relay in 1:39.20 and Ricke, Rasmussen, Foy, Chapell placed ninth in 1:48.20.
“It’s always stressful competing on relays, you feel more pressure to be the best you can be to support the team,” Peimann said. “I always try and tell myself that it’s casual before I race. My teammates are always really supportive no matter the outcome.”
Peimann, Francis, Rasmussen and Foy placed third in the 200 medley relay with 1:58.08 and Chapell, Sanders, Fellman and Ricke were seventh in 2:03.94.
Foy, Soboleff, Sanders and Ricke placed fourth in the 400-yard medley relay in 4:28.51 (1st Chugiak 4:08.95) and Peimann, Fellman, Chapell and Francis were disqualified after setting a seed time of 3:56.17.
“Since this was a mid-season meet and the team was not tapered I tried to focus on the racing experience rather than times,” Ricke said. “I was close to my best times in my main events and learned some new things I can focus on for the rest of the season. Even though I didn’t have perfect races I really enjoyed getting to see people from around the state and get some racing in.”
Peimann won the 100 free in 53.99 with Fellman second in 54.41, Chapell 20th 58.29, Ricke 29th 59.09, Rasmussen 35th 1:00.08, Foy 49th 1:02.59; and Peimann won the 200 free in 1:55.87 and Francis was fourth in 2:00.21, Soboleff 17th 2:09.38, Rasmussen 18th 2:09.66 and Foy 33rd 2:18.71.
“The key to staying competitive and improving is showing up and working hard every time I’m at practice,” Peimann said. “A huge part for me wanting to stay consistent and be at practice is because of how supportive my coaches are.”
Peimann also won the 100 backstroke in 58.67 with Ricke fourth 102.61, Francis 8th 59.95, Sanders 9th 1:02.80, Chapell 12th 1:04.36, Foy 20th 1:08.39 and Rasmussen 24th 1:09.07. (Note: The six-lane pool had two sets of finals in individual events based on preliminary races so a seventh/eighth-place finish in a B final could be faster than a lower finisher in the A final, but would not be counted ahead.)
Peimann also won the 200 backstroke in 2:07.61 with Ricke fourth in 2:15.59 and Chapell fifth 2:18.15, Sanders 10th 2:22.59 and Foy 17th 2:34.31.
“I got best times in the 100 free and the 200 free,” Chapell said. “In my other events I didn’t perform how I hoped, but I gained great feedback and aspects to focus on in practice the next few months leading up to Alaska Swimming State Champs in April. I’m looking forward to that meet and the work to come.”
Fellman won the 200 breaststroke in 2:20.29 and Soboleff third in 2:38.52, and Fellman won the 100 breaststroke in 1:06.43 (Soboleff 14th 1:18.59, Francis 15th 1:18.79).
“I wouldn’t say there was one particular swim I’m happiest with,” Fellman said. “For where we’re at right now in the season I was overall pretty happy with how all of my swims went…It takes a lot of hard work, waking up early for practice, and motivation to push yourself on a regular basis.”
Fellman was second in the 100 butterfly in 1:00.72 (1st Woodward 58.91) and Chapell seventh 1:04.23; Fellman placed third in the 500 free in 5:20.87 (1st Trembath 5:16.36), Ricke fourth 5:38.10, Francis seventh 5:30.34, Soboleff ninth 5:43.94, and Rasmussen 10th 5:44.05.
Francis won the girls 50 free in 24.65, Fellman second 24.89 and Peimann third 25.08, Sanders 19th 26.30, Chapell 33rd 26.99, Foy 38th 27.36 and Ricke 42nd 27.66.
“Senior Champs has always kind of been the start of a new swim season,” Francis said. “It’s a chance to set new goals, try new events, see people from other teams and see the progress you have made. It can really surprise you. This meet I didn’t swim my best events other than my 500 free which I was ecstatic to be on the podium with my teammates Emma and Val. I surprised myself with my 100 back and 500 free which aren’t my strongest events, but I can see the hard work I’m putting in practice is working. This meet is exactly what I need to really get back into my groove and show that I can improve even in a pool where I have to break out my ski gear to stay warm on deck.”
Francis also placed seventh in the girls 200 IM in 2:16.99 (1st Woodward 2:13.55) and Rasmussen 19th in 2:31.27.
“For me this meet was more of a check in for where I am at,” Rasmussen said. “It let me know what I need to focus on these next couple of months while we do our big push for our meet at the end of the season.”
Phelps was seventh in the boys 200 IM in 2:11.36 (1st Midnight Sun Swim Team’s Zen Schaetzle, age 17, in 1:59.70) and Huffer 17th in 2:27.09.
Phelps was 17th in the boys 200 free in 1:57.16 (1st Mank 1:45.84); 10th in the 100 butterfly 57.94 (1st Mank 49.75) and Huffer 20th in 1:05.19; 29th in the 50 free with 24.75 (1st Mank 21.40) and Huffer 42nd 26.28; 27th in the 100 free with 54.40 (1st Mank 46.26) and Huffer 33rd in 56.83. Phelps also swam an extra race on Sunday after not making a Northwest Age Group Regional Championships qualifying time (57.79) in the 100 fly in either his preliminary (57.80) or finals (57.94) race. In that extra heat he qualified with a 57.65.
“I had plenty of best times at the meet,” Phelps said. “Like in the 200 freestyle I dropped almost two seconds…the 100 butterfly two and a half seconds…the 200 IM three and a half seconds…overall I think I did pretty good at the meet. I think I performed to the best of my abilities at the time. My next steps would be training harder and faster for the next meet that’s coming up in two weeks and just keeping a relaxed mind, just not overthinking too much.”
In the boys 200-yard back (1st Mank 1:58.65) Huffer swam an eighth-place preliminary time of 2:21.97 for a future race qualifying mark, but did not swim in the finals.
Chugiak Aquatics Club won the women’s team score with 688.50 points, GSC was second with 468.50 among 11 clubs competing. Chugiak also won the men’s team total with 625 points, Ketchikan eighth 44, Baranof ninth 17, GSC 10th 10, and Haines 12th with three points among 12 teams.
“This was a good untapered mid-season meet to really just have fun and see where we’re at going into championship season,” Fellman said. “The next big meet coming up that I am focusing on is Sectionals in March which will be in Boise.”
Peimann noted she too was headed to Boise Idaho for Speedo Senior Sectionals, “where I am hoping to get some best times and qualify for some national level meets this summer.”
The next GSC meet is the 2025 Alaska Swimming Age Group Championships Feb. 14-16 at Fairbanks’ Hamme Pool.
• Contact Klas Stolpe at klas.stole@juneauempire.com.
