Crimson Bears splash into season, honoring seniors with wins

Klas Stolpe
37 minutes ago
6 min read

JDHS sweeps combined boys and girls team titles in season swim and dive opener

Juneau-Douglas High School: Yadaa.at Kalé senior Avery Smith swims the backstroke in the girls 200-yard medley relay during the Juneau Invitational at the Dimond Park Aquatic Center on Friday, Sept. 4, 2026. (Klas Stolpe / Juneau Independent)

By Klas Stolpe

Juneau Independent

The Juneau-Douglas High School: Yadaa.at Kalé Crimson Bears opened the 2026-27 swim and dive season with a pair of meet wins, Friday and Saturday at the Dimond Park Aquatic Center.

On Friday, in combined scoring across both boys and girls, JDHS scored 413 points with Sitka second at 222, followed by Petersburg with 123, Ketchikan 108 and Wrangell 20. On Saturday JDHS scored 422.50, Sitka 271.50, Petersburg 139, Ketchikan 104, and Wrangell 19.

“What surprised me was how the underclassmen stepped up this weekend,” JDHS head coach Amber Kelly said. “We have some very experienced swimmers and divers, but a lot of our younger athletes competed with confidence and showed us they are ready to contribute. That was exciting to see, and it gives us a lot of depth as we continue building the team.”

Juneau-Douglas High School: Yadaa.at Kalé sophomore Maddie Manlulu, senior Kaelyn Szefler and sophomore Katya Foy leave the starting block in the girls 100 free during the Juneau Invitational at the Dimond Park Aquatic Center on Friday, Sept. 4, 2026. (Klas Stolpe / Juneau Independent)

Sophomore Katya Foy joined seniors Kennedy Miller, Amy Liddle and Bailey Fisher to win the girls 200 medley relay on Friday, while sophomore Keagan Andrews did the same with junior Liam Kiessling and seniors Josh Edwards and Kaden Aldrich to win the boys 200 MR.

Liddle won the 200 free and 100 breast and joined with Foy, Fisher and senior Kaelyn Szefler to win the 400 FR. Foy nabbed top spots in the 200 IM - as did Edwards - and the 100 free. Senior Avery Smith won the girls 100 back and Kiessling won the boys 100 back and 50 free.

Sophomore Cora Soboleff claimed the 500 free on Saturday.

Juneau-Douglas High School: Yadaa.at Kalé sophomore Cora Soboleff swims the girls 200 yard free during the Juneau Invitational at the Dimond Park Aquatic Center, Friday, Sept. 4, 2026. (Klas Stolpe / Juneau Independent)

Smith, Miller, Liddle and Fisher nabbed the girls 200 MR as did Kiessling, Edwards, sophomore Levi Phelps and Aldrich for the boys.

Liddle took the girls 200 IM and 100 fly. Kiessling did the same for the boys.

Liddle, Miller, Szefler added classmate Adeline Williams to win the 200 FR. Miller won the girls 100 breast and Edwards the boys.

Juneau-Douglas High School: Yadaa.at Kalé senior Josh Edwards, Sitka senior Tommy McCarthy and JDHS senior Kaden Aldrich leave the starting block in the boys 100 free during the Juneau Invitational at the Dimond Park Aquatic Center on Friday, Sept. 4, 2026. (Klas Stolpe / Juneau Independent)

“The girls winning the meet was obviously exciting, and I was also really encouraged by the boys finishing only 16 points behind a strong Sitka team,” JDHS coach Kelly said. “For this early in the season, I think both sides showed us that we have a lot to work with. We are still training hard, and we certainly have things to clean up, but I do not want our best swimming to happen in September. We want to keep building toward Regions and State.”

The JDHS team honored seniors Kaden Aldrich, Moira Bahn, Easton Berger, Alexander Davis, Joshua Edwards, Bailey Fisher, Chedi Giron, Amy Liddle, Kennedy Miller, Brady Newport, Ben Pallenberg, Sam Pallenberg, Lena ‘Maddox’ Rasmussen, Avery Smith, Riley Soboleff, Kaelyn Szefler and Adeline Williams on Saturday.

Juneau-Douglas High School: Yadaa.at Kalé sophomore Katya Foy swims backstroke in the girls 200-yard individual medley during the Juneau Invitational at the Dimond Park Aquatic Center on Friday, Sept. 4, 2026. (Klas Stolpe / Juneau Independent)

EVENT PLACINGS (top finisher and/or JDHS finishes)

FRIDAY GIRLS:

200 MR - JDHS (Katya Foy, Kennedy Miller, Amy Liddle, Bailey Fisher) 1:55.55; 2. JDHS ( Avery Smith, Cora Soboleff, Annabelle Woodruff, Kaelyn Szefler) 1:59.46.

200 free - Liddle 1:59.83; 2. C.Soboleff 2:05.71; 3. Bailey Fisher 2:12.54; 5. Annabelle Woodruff 2:15.25; 7. Brook Taintor 2:18.03.

200 IM - 1. Foy 2:24.26.

50 free - 1. PSG Lexie Tow 26.35; 2. Fisher 26.64; 3. Miller 26.97; 5. Riley Soboleff 28.10; 6. Smith 28.16; 8. Ellinore Higgins 29.38; 10. Clara Van Kirk 29.54; 11. Sarah Anderson 29.81; 12. Natalie Mackinnon 29.82; 16. Kaylin Janz 30.93; 17. Nyah Harris 31.40; 19. Augustine Kvasnikoff 32.01; 20. Saana Amundson 32.20; 25 Ila Mannino 37.66.

Diving - 1. KTN Lina Merrill 136.60; 2. Adeline Williams 124.65; DQ Moira Bahn.

100 fly - 1. SIT Taryn Fleming 1:03.44; 2. Miller 1:05.78.

100 free - 1. Foy 56.52; 2. Szefler 59.05; 4. Maddie Manlulu 1:00.78; 8. Mae Crocker 1:08.56; 10. Janz 1:09.79; 11. Amundson 1:11.39.

500 free - 1. PSG Bella Miller 6:03.42; 2. Maddox Rasmussen 6:04.73; 3. Mannino 8:29.10.

200 FR - 1. PSG (Kendyl Lachapelle, Sydney Popp, Miller, Tow) 1:52.67; 4. JD (Taintor, Janz, Amundson, Crocker) 2:02.89; 5. JD (Manlulu, VanKirk, Mannino, Anderson) 2:05.02.

100 back - 1. Smith 1:06.83; 3. Woodruff 1:09.31; 4. Szefler 1:10.08; 5. Taintor 1:13.89; 6. R.Soboleff 1:14.00; 7. Anderson 1:17.11; 8. Higgins 1:17.16; 9. Mackinnon 1:17.33; 11. Harris 1:22.55.

100 breast - 1. Liddle 1:09.95; 4. C.Soboleff 1:16.20; 5. Manlulu 1:19.03; 7. Augustine Kvasnikoff 1:24.45; 9. Crocker 1:27.02; 10. VanKirk 1:27.62; 11. Rasmussen 1:28.99.

400 FR - 1. JD (Foy, Fisher, Szefler, Liddle) 3:54.27.

Petersburg High School's Hakon Eddy swims to a win in the boys 100-yard butterfly during the Juneau Invitational at the Dimond Park Aquatic Center on Friday, Sept. 4, 2026. (Klas Stolpe / Juneau Independent)

FRIDAY BOYS:

200 MR - JDHS (Liam Kiessling, Josh Edwards, Kaden Aldrich, Keagen Andrews) 1:43.92; 5. JDHS (Sam Pallenberg, Ben Pallenberg, Axel Boily, Chedi Giron) 1:55.46.

200 free - PSG Cyrus Hulebak 1:54.75; 3. Josh Ely 2:04.27.

200 IM - 1. Edwards 2:06.32; 3. Levi Phelps 2:13.95; 6. Andrews 2:30.04.

50 free - 1. Kiessling 22.48; 3. Aldrich 23.00; 11. Giron 26.04; 12. S.Pallenberg 26.06; 16. Henry Thatcher 27.60.

Diving - 1. Easton Berger 170.05; 3. Alex Davis 121.60; 4. Brady Newport 105.55; 5. Traeus Mateo 92.55.

100 fly - 1. PSG Hakon Eddy 57.17; 2. Phelps 57.56; 5. Boily 1:04.80

100 free - 1. PSG Hulebak 49.21; 3. Aldrich 50.54; 4. Edwards 50.98; 10. B. Pallenberg 1:01.19.

500 free - 1. SIT Zach Martens 5:04.83; 2. Giron 5:51.67.

200 FR - JD (S.Pallenberg, Giron, Andrews, Phelps) 1:41.27.

100 back - 1. Kiessling 54.70; 2. S.Pallenberg 1:02.98; 5. Ely 1:09.47.

100 breast - 1. SIT Ben Lihou 1:07.75; 4. Andrews 1:11.80; 5. Thatcher 1:15.71; 6. Boily 1:16.26; 7. B.Pallenberg 1:17.62.

400 FR - 1. JD (Edwards, Aldrich, Phelps, Kiessling) 3:22.59.

Juneau-Douglas High School: Yadaa.at Kalé senior Kennedy Miller swims the girls 100 breaststroke during the Juneau Invitational at the Dimond Park Aquatic Center on Saturday, Sept. 5, 2026. Miller won the event. (Klas Stolpe / Juneau Independent)

SATURDAY GIRLS:

200 MR - 1. JD (Smith, Miller, Liddle, Fisher) 1:57.08; 2. JD (Foy, C.Soboleff, Woodruff, Manlulu) 1:58.56.

200 free - 1. PSG Tow 2:07.71; 2. Taintor 2:18.21; 4. Kvasnikoff 2:37.61; 5. Amundson 2:39.64; 7. Mannino 3:14.61.

200 IM - Liddle 2:13.73; 2. Smith 2:25.46; 4. R.Soboleff 2:37.15; 7. Crocker 2:52.99; 8. Harris 2:59.52; 9. VanKirk 3:05.25.

50 free - 1. SIT Aela McCarthy 26.12; 2. Foy 26.52; 3. Fisher 26.74; 4. C.Soboleff 26.86; 6. Woodruff 27.22; 7. Szefler 27.37; 9. Manlulu 27.94.

Diving - 1. Ktn Merrill 146.80; 3. Williams 94.80.

100 fly - 1. Liddle 59.44; 2. Woodruff 1:03.03; 3. Smith 1:04.12; 4. Szefler 1:05.83; 8. Rasmussen 1:11.38; 10. Harris 1:19.24.

100 free - 1. PSG Tow 57.30; 2. Fisher 58.99; 3. Miller 59.13; 6. Higgins 1:05.58; 7. Anderson 1:05.93; 8. Mackinnon 1:07.08; 11. Janz 1:09.79; 17. Mannino 1:27.36.

500 free - 1. C.Soboleff 5:36.67.

200 FR - 1. JD (Liddle, Miller, Szefler, Williams) 1:48.24; 2. JD (Fisher, Smith, Rasmussen, R.Soboleff) 1:49.16.

100 back - 1. SIT Fleming 1:03.53; 2. Foy 1:04.28; 4. Manlulu 1:10.66; 5. Rasmussen 1:12.59; 6. Taintor 1:13.88; 7. Crocker 1:18.21; 10. Kvasnikoff 1:24.17; 11. VanKirk 1:25.30.

100 breast - 1. Miller 1:13.94; 2. R.Soboleff 1:17.65; 6. Anderson 1:26.07; 7. Janz 1:27.99; 8. Higgins 1:28.11; 12. Mackinnon 1:32.90; 13. Amundson 1:35.52.

400 FR - 1. PSG (B.Miller, Lachapelle, Hinde, T.Miller) 4:17.66; 4. JD (Crocker, Anderson, Kvasnikoff, Amundson) 4:47.37; DQ JD (Taintor, Janz, Harris, Mackinnon).

Sitka High School's Tommy McCarthy swims the boys 100-yard freestyle during the Juneau Invitational at the Dimond Park Aquatic Center on Friday, Sept. 4, 2026. (Klas Stolpe / Juneau Independent)

SATURDAY BOYS:

200 MR - 1. JD (Kiessling, Edwards, Phelps, Aldrich) 1:41.88; 4. JD (Ely, Boily, B.Pallenberg, S.Pallenberg) 2:04.18.

200 free - 1. SIT Martens 1:51.42; 7. Phelps 2:03.85; 10. Giron 2:10.67; 11. Thatcher 2:12.44.

200 IM - 1. Kiessling 2:03.01; 3. Aldrich 2:08.36; DQ Boily.

50 free - 1. SIT Nellis 24.50; 3. Andrews 25.16; 5. Ely 26.88; 7. B.Pallenberg 27.89.

Diving - 1. Berger 165.40; 3. Davis 102.10; 4. Newport 101.45; 5. Mateo 92.70.

100 fly - 1. Kiessling 52.75; 2. Edwards 54.00; 5. Giron 1:05.85.

100 free - 1. SIT Corin Colliver 49.44; 3. Phelps 53.60; 4. S.Pallenberg 54.08; 6. Andrews 55.65; 9. Ely 58.10.

500 free - 1. SIT Lihou 5:18.17; 4. Thatcher 5:57.23.

200 FR - 1. SIT (Martens, Colliver, Lihou, McCarthy) 1:32.12; 2. JD (Aldrich, Edwards, S.Pallenberg, Giron) 1:35.30; 3. Jd (Kiessling, Phelps, Andrews, Thatcher) 1:39.47.

100 back - 1. PSG Hulebak 59.93; 2. Boily 1:10.53; 4. B.Pallenberg 1:11.13.

100 breast - 1. Edwards 1:05.56; 2. Aldrich 1:06.33; 4. S.Pallenberg 1:17.23.

400 FR - 1. SIT (Sawyer Bastian, Nellis, Cedar Powers, Elliott Galanin) 3:37.49; DQ JD (Ely, Boily, Andrews, Thatcher).