Juneau swimmers will be well-represented at the state swim and dive championships on Friday and Saturday at Barlett High School in Anchorage.
The Region V Championship Juneau-Douglas High School boys qualified nine boys in nine different events. The Crimson Bears were one of just four teams to qualify in all three relays. The Dimond Lynx, Kenai Central Kardinals and Kodiak Bears will also be swimming in the 200 and 400-yard freestyle relays and 200-yard medley relay.
Senior Tyler Weldon and sophomore Caleb Peimann are shouldering the heaviest load for JDHS — swimming in the maximum two individual events and two relays. Weldon will swim the 50 freestyle, 100 breaststroke and two relays. Peimann qualified in the 100 butterfly, 100 backstroke and two relays.
The remaining seven swimmers will be competing primarily in relays. The 200 medley relay, the first finals event to take place on Saturday afternoon, features Weldon, Peimann, senior Tate Goering and senior Reed Gardinier. The 200 freestyle relay will include Gardinier, junior Isaac Gabel, junior Erik Jim and freshman Adrell Mulgrew-Truitt and the 400 freestyle relay will include Weldon, Peimann, Goering and Mulgrew-Truitt.
The JDHS girls qualified six swimmers in eight different events. Senior Cameron Howard, senior Taelyn Norvell and junior Mesa Moran each qualified in two events. Howard will compete in the 50 and 200 freestyle, Norvell in the 100 breaststroke and 200 individual medley and Moran in the 500 freestyle and 100 butterfly.
Junior Stella Tallmon and freshman Tahlia Gerger will both swim the 100 backstroke and senior Karmen Funderburk will be on the 1-meter springboard.
Thunder Mountain will be taking a total of 13 swimmers — six boys and seven girls —to the state meet. Senior Raymie Matiashowski will look to defend his 500 freestyle state title after posting the second-fastest qualifying time out of 16 swimmers. Teammate and fellow senior Chris Ray looks to be his biggest challenger in the waters on Saturday. Ray, who defeated Matiashowski by two-tenths of a second at the Region V meet, is the No. 1 overall seed.
Junior Micah Grigg and freshman Nancy Liddle both qualified for three events apiece. Grigg will swim the 200 and 500 freestyle and 100 breaststroke while Liddle will compete in the 100 butterfly, 500 freestyle and 400 freestyle relay.
• Contact sports reporter Nolin Ainsworth at 523-2272 or nainsworth@juneauempire.com. Follow Empire Sports on Twitter at @akempiresports.
