Liddle is big at Alaska high school state swim and dive championships

Exhausted bliss.

That was what Juneau-Douglas High School: Yadaa.at Kalé sophomore Amy Liddle felt when she touched the pool wall and looked up at her personal best time on Saturday.

“I mean, I was so happy, you know,” she said after the race. “I don’t know, nothing else really. I was so tired, but so happy.”

Liddle had just come up big at the ASAA Swim & Dive State Championships at Anchorage’s Bartlett High School pool, winning the girls 200-yard freestyle in a time of one minute 55.96 seconds.

“Oh, it is amazing, like, I don’t know,” an emotional Liddle said. “You dream about it, in practice you think about it…and, I mean, it is just so much better than you would imagine. It’s great. My hard work really paid off.”

Liddle was seeded third in the event, and would only see top-seeded junior Abigail Price of Kenai, second-seeded junior Kylie Benner of Palmer and fourth-seeded junior Sophia Trembath of Eagle River.

“I was aware of them, a little bit,” Liddle said. “I could see Abigail Price in lane four, but besides that I couldn’t really see anybody directly next to me. So it was surprising looking at the finish board.”

Benner placed second in 1:56.47, Price third in 1:56.52 and Trembath fourth in 1:56.69. All under their prelim times as was Liddle, who swam a 1:57.83 on Friday, well over her Region V-winning 1:56.14.

“Juneau swimmers are known for taking it easy on preliminaries,” the race announcer’s voice boomed across the water as the athletes were returning from their first 50.

Liddle had kept pace with the leaders off the block and on the return was inches ahead. She was still feeling their movement starting the last 100 and after the far flip turn she kept her pace to withstand a late push by Brenner and Trembath.

Crowd noise was at an optimum as well, and the pool announcer gave a stroke-by-stroke account as the swimmers inched ahead or fell off the pace.

“You can totally hear everyone,” Liddle said. “Everyone gets louder in the last 50, it really pushes me forward.”

Liddle said that she was not only happy for herself, but also for JDHS.

“I got a best time so I am very happy for myself,” she said. “But we get more points for our team now, which is great.”

JDHS scored the first major points of the meet in the opening event, winning the girls’ 200-yard medley relay in 1:51.90 for the state title.

Crimson Bears junior Deedee Mills hit a 27.93 backstroke to start the relay and senior Parker Boman followed with a 31.69 breaststroke leg.

“As a senior, I felt like this was a great conclusion to my four years,” Boman said. “I loved being able to swim finals for my first time, see my teammates do great in their events and help win the 200 medley relay. In all, I know that I’ll miss my team, but I loved how this season turned out.”

JDHS senior Lucia Chapell hit a 27.27 butterfly for the third leg and sophomore Kennedy Miller brought home the win with a 25.01 freestyle.

“This was a really fun and fulfilling final state meet for me,” Chapell said. “Our whole team performed extremely well, and I’m so proud of everyone and the hard work we’ve put in all season. Being a part of the winning 200 medley relay was an exciting way to start the meet. We moved up from our ranking going into the meet, and that excellent performance really brought the high energy going into the rest of the finals day. The good energy was up all weekend amongst all the swimmers. All of the Alaska swimming girls are so supportive and sweet, and it was especially meaningful to get to race with all of them for my last state meet. This is a really special sport with wonderful people and this weekend showed that.”

The JDHS girls would place second in the team scoring with 89 points. Eagle River defended their state title with 117. The JDHS boys placed seventh with 27 points and Palmer’s Colony High School won the title with 97.

All Crimson Bears had strong swims during the meet.

The JDHS girls 400 free relay of Liddle (54.32), Fisher (56.06), Chapell (55.65) and Mills (55.58) placed second with 3:41.61 (1. ER 3:37.56).

JDHS senior Matthew Plang placed second in the boys 100 breast with 59.77 (1. senior Jan Beck SER 58.72; 4. junior Gavin Harold KTN 1:01.75; 6. sophomore Max Meredith KTN 1:02.03).

“Even though I didn’t meet the expectations I had for myself going into state, I still had a lot of fun with my teammates and coaches,” Plang said. “I’m glad I was able to spend my last season with such an incredibly hard-working team.”

Liddle placed second in the girls 500 free with 5:13.45 (1. Trembath ER 5:07.30; 7. Mia Turner SIT 5:32.78; 8. freshman Bella Miller PSG 5:40.56).

The Crimson Bears girls 200 free relay of sophomore Bailey Fisher (25.95), senior Pacific Ricke (26.73), Miller (25.77) and Liddle (24.96) placed third in 1:43.41 (1. ER 1:38.58).

JDHS’ Mills had a powerful 100 freestyle, placing third in a personal best time of 54.30 (1. senior Lola Woodward ER 53.80; 2. Trembath ER 54.08).

“That 100 free was the best swim I have had in a while,” Mills said. “When I touched the wall and saw my time, I didn’t even look for the place I got because I was so happy. I’ve had such a change from last season and seeing the numbers on the board just means I’m going to try harder next time. I don’t know what my coaches put in those sets, but I’m very lucky to have such a good coaching staff.”

Mills also placed fifth in the 100 back with 59.18 and teammate Chapell seventh with 1:01.27 (1. freshman Keira Gust ER 56.91; 6. Taryn Fleming SIT 1:00.81).

JDHS’ Miller placed fourth in the girls 100 breast with 1:10.04 and teammate Boman fifth in 1:10.57 (1. freshman Lexie Tow PSG 1:07.68).

“I would like to start with how proud I am of this team,” Miller said of the combined JD and now-defunct Thunder Mountain High School. “I think there was a lot of uncertainty coming into this year with the merge, but as the season went on, this team came together and we proved our strength this weekend. Finals started off with the 200 medley relay. Prior to the race, we talked with Josiah and his words really stuck with me — ‘You all were chosen to be on the relay for a reason.’ That was one of the most exciting relays I’ve been a part of, which is why I swam so well during my leg, and the win felt really good.”

“We also had the 200 free relay, which we had some uncertainty about because of some changes that were happening concerning the legs. But we went from sixth to third, which is so amazing to me. I’m super proud of Pacific (senior Ricke) because she’s been sick since Tuesday. She swam super well on the relay and we couldn’t have done it without her. I believe the relays put me in a good headspace and by the time my 100 breaststroke came around, I knew I was going to leave it all in the pool. Last year I got ninth at state in the 100 breaststroke, and this year I got fourth. I’m really proud of my swim, looking up at my time and seeing my coaches and teammates after my swim makes it all worth it.”

Ricke showed what the new JDHS team represented as she stayed positive although dealing with the after-effects of a high temperature and would be just one of the three competitive swimmers who did not have a chance to earn a best time in her individual events on Friday (500 free, 100 back) as she was unable to swim. Yet she persevered enough to help the relay team improve.

“We are all really proud of our performances this weekend,” head coach Josiah Loseby said. “Despite multiple swimmers and divers on our team getting sick heading into state, we still fought hard and did extremely well. Many best swims and dives were achieved this weekend.”

Twelve of the 15 JDHS competing swimmers had personal best times in one or more events, including seniors Plang, Boman, Chapell, Owen Rumsey and Matthew Godkin; junior Mills; sophomores Liddle, Miller, Fisher, Josh Edwards and Riley Soboleff; and freshman Liam Kiessling.

In addition, Boman, Chapell, Godkin, and Rumsey won individual ASAA state championship sportsmanship awards.

Ketchikan won the Boys Team Sportsmanship Award and Eagle River won the Girls Team Sportsmanship Award. Eagle River senior Wes Mank and junior Reese Woodward were awarded the outstanding male and female swimmers, respectively, of the championships.

In other state final events, the JDHS boys 200 medley relay placed fourth in 1:40.01 while ERHS set a state record time of 1:33.57. Crimson Bears Kiessling swam a 25.80 back leg, Plang a 27.12 breast, Godkin a 24.01 fly and Edwards a 23.08 free.

JDHS’ Chapell placed fifth in the girls 100 fly with 1:01.23 and teammate Miller seventh with 1:01.82 (1. Woodward ER 57.64; 4. Fleming SIT 1:00.32).

The JDHS boys 200 free relay of Edwards (24.14), Rumsey (23.34), Godkin (22.89) and Plang (22.57) placed fifth in 1:32.94 (1. ER 1:26.84; 8. KTN 1:37.55).

JDHS’ Fisher placed seventh in the girls 50 free with 25.92 (1. senior Amaya Rocheleau KHS 23.96; 8. junior Brooklyn Whitethorn PSG 26.12).

JDHS’ Plang was eighth in the boys 50 free with 22.68 (1. senior Tomasz Balaban, Service).

JDHS’ Kiessling placed eighth in the boys 100 back with 57.40 (1. Mank ER state record 48.65; 4. Grant Maygren CRG 54.80; 5. sophomore Parker Hagan KTN 56.00).

Colony senior Charlize McManus won one-meter girls diving with 456.25 points and Wasilla senior Travis Thornton won the boys diving with 486.25 (5. junior Liam Woodward KTN 337.95; 7. senior Clayton Huff KTN 320.30).

JDHS senior diver Paul Smith and sophomore Easton Berger qualified for the boys semifinals.

“State went well,” Smith said. “Everyone was so inviting and nice, it really helped take the nerves off. I am happy with how I performed, and I got to see dives that I haven’t before.”

JDHS sophomore divers Moira Bahn and Adeline Williams were just points away from the girls’ semifinals.

“The other divers were all really talented,” Bahn said. “And I really enjoyed watching and learning from them. The whole meet was a great learning experience and I had a lot of fun.”

Chugiak junior Blake Fazio won boys 200 free in 1:44.26 (2. junior Evan Dash KAYHI 1:46.73; 3. junior Logan Tow PSG 1:46.78).

Eagle River’s Woodward won the girls 200 IM in 2:10.26 and teammate Mank the boys 200 IM in 1:51.53 (5. Harold KTN 2:04.20; 6. Zach Martens SIT 2:04.96).

Colony junior Isaiah Hulien won the boys 100 fly in 50.15 (4. Dash KTN 51.97).

Service senior Ben Price won the boys 100 free in 45.22 (7. Hagan KTN 48.80).

Service senior Jan Beck won the boys 500 free with 4:44.02 (5. Martens SIT 4:55.82; 6. Tow PSG 4:59.27).

Colony won the boys 400 free relay in 3:11.26 (4. KTN 3:19.07; 5. SIT 3:23.55).

JDHS swimmers not making some final races include senior Caitlin Sanders (100 back 1:02.62), Godkin (50 free 23.28), sophomore Maddox Rasmussen (500 free 5:40.77), Edwards (200 IM 2:08.47; 100 breast 1:05.39) and Soboleff (100 breast 1:13.66)

“Coming into this season, there was a lot of uncertainty with the consolidation and merger of the teams,” coach Loseby said. “We are really grateful that everyone gave us a chance and chose to believe in something greater than themselves — our new team. This belief, love and support was demonstrated in our performances this weekend.”

FINAL TEAM SCORES

Girls – 1. Eagle River 117; 2. JDHS 89; 3. South Anchorage 86; 4. Colony 49; 5. Kodiak 42; 5. Service 42; 7. West Valley 33; 8. Petersburg 17; 8. Dimond 17; 10. Palmer 15; 10. Kenai Central 15; 12. Sitka 10; 13. East Anchorage 7; 14. North Pole 6; 15. Chugiak 5; 16. West Anchorage 2.

Boys – 1. COL 97; 2. SER 88; 3. ER 82; 4. DMD 62; 5. KTN 56; 6. CHG 34; 7. JDHS 27; 8. WV 25; 9. KOD 22; 10. SIT 17; 11. Wasilla 14; 12. PSG 9; 13. Craig 5; 13. Lathrop 5; 15. KCHS 4; 16 NP 3; 17. Palmer 2; 17. Soldotna 2; 19. WA 1.

• Contact Klas Stolpe at klas.stolpe@juneauempire.com.