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Crimson Bears tennis team prepares to host regions
JDHS has strong showing at Fairbanks and Anchorage invites
By Klas Stolpe
Juneau Independent
The Juneau-Douglas High School: Yadaa.at Kalé Crimson Bears have returned to the tennis courts with some swagger, performing well in two unofficial travel tournaments at Fairbanks and Anchorage since the season began in August.
“With 29 athletes on the roster — including 17 fast-learning newcomers — our goal this season is to equip every player with a complete tennis skillset,” JDHS coach Austin Stefanich said. “Since high school players must self-coach during a set, we place heavy emphasis on game strategy, opponent analysis, and emotional resilience under pressure.”
A major part of the early season play are returning seniors Riley Dale, Dan Degener, Katherine Hieb, Isaac Hill, Aurora Madsen and newcomer Stahly Sheehan.
Hill, Madsen and Dale are playing in their fourth year of varsity tennis.
“Isaac (Hill) has a strong overall game with notable improvements in match composure,” Stefanich said. “Aurora (Madsen) is a strategic, highly poised player utilizing heavy topspin lobs and steady groundstrokes…Riley (Dale) is a cool-headed doubles specialist adept at balancing steady play with aggressive put-aways.”
Degener is playing his third year of tennis.
“A valuable veteran who plays with confidence and determination in any event he plays,” Stefanich said.
Madsen won the Region V girls singles title last season and along with classmate Dale, the duo won last season’s Region V girls doubles championship and placed fourth at the state championships in Anchorage. They both have two seasons of state tournament play on the courts as well.
The duo won both of their doubles matches in the Anchorage Invitational, Sept. 4-5, at the Alaska Club East. Nine schools with a total of 86 players participated.
Madsen and Dale won matches against Service High School’s Rosie McCrudden and Shenandoah Chulsie, and West Anchorage High School’s Grace Yang and Maria Hrgrovic.
Madsen, competing in the event for her fourth year, noted that, “Competing in matches against different opponents can be especially beneficial to improving doubles strategy and communication, as partners learn to adapt to different playing styles as a pair…The event was extremely helpful in improving my game and I enjoyed bonding with the team over Indian food, and the usual after-match ice cream.”
Degener and sophomore Isaac Kirsch placed ninth at state in boys doubles last season, and Hill was part of a ninth-place mixed doubles finish as well.
Last weekend Hill partnered with Kirsch, competing in four boys’ doubles matches. The duo defeated Lathrop High School’s Henri Van den Berg and Jared Sabey, West Valley High School’s Logan Moore and Wyatt Tanksy, and East Anchorage High School’s Chase Dumas and Soren Thomas. Their only loss came to Service High School’s Shilo Perkins and Ryan Hugg.
“Isaac (Kirsch) is an aggressive doubles player with a strong net presence and high work ethic,” Stefanich said.
Hill also played three singles matches, winning two, and falling to last season’s state singles runner-up from Dimond, Todd Debenham, in an 11-9 set tiebreaker.
First-year tennis team member Sheehan stated that the event, “Not only bettered my individual skill but also helped significantly increase team camaraderie between the Crimson Bears.”
Rounding out the roster are returning junior Delphine Hochstoeger, and newcomers Summit Bos, Freyja Shelton Walker and Grace Snyder.
Sophomore returners include Kirsch, Mia Alexander, Naisha Bathija, Oscar Lamb, Oliver Rogers, and Paxton Willoughby.
Among the 16 new players to the team are sophomores Luca Ciambor, Adalyn Hartman, Alana Nguyen, Vince Nizich, Tanner Schultz, Murphy Sheehan and freshmen Max Hayes, Gabriel McGuan, Ian McWilliams, Aeson Stekoll, Chloe Travis, Shaylynn Tupou and Vadim Zimmerman.
“Travel matches in Fairbanks and Anchorage gave us essential court time to test our progress,” Stefanich said. “As we prepare for regionals to help determine our state tournament roster, several athletes are leading the way… Playing diverse competition on the road also provided critical development for Stahly (Sheehan), Gracie (Snyder), Delphine (Hockstoeger), Mia (Alexander), Paxton (Willoughby), Oscar (Lamb) and Ian (McWilliams).”
JDHS will hold the Recess Round Robin on Sept 19-20. The tournament is a fundraiser for the Crimson Bears. The round robin play for adult men’s, women’s and mixed doubles will be broken into approximate skill levels.
The Crimson Bears hold their Region V tournament at The Alaska Club in the valley, Sept 21-25.
JDHS has the only tennis team among Region V schools, so the tournament winners will qualify for the Alaska School Activities Association Tennis State Championships at Anchorage’s Alaska Club East location Oct. 8-10.
JDHS can take eight varsity athletes to state, and players can only participate in one discipline. As a team the past four seasons they have placed fifth, third, second and third.
JDHS had a strong state showing last season but graduated Elliot Welch, the four-time Southeast champion in singles, boys doubles and mixed doubles. Welch won the first-ever JDHS boys’ singles state championship last season. Also graduated is fifth place state girls singles finisher Paige Kirsch and mixed doubles graduate Bella Reyes-Boyer. The Crimson Bears have won seven mixed and girls’ championships since the program started in 2003.
Other past JDHS state tennis champions have included Milina Mazon and Alex Rehfeldt in mixed doubles in 2024; Elizabeth Djajalie and Lucas Mattson in mixed doubles in 2023; Katie Pikul in girls’ singles in 2022; Sami Good and Phillip Wall in mixed doubles in 2016; Sami Good and Erica Hurtte in girls’ doubles in 2015; Laurel Messerschmidt and Brian Vandor in mixed doubles in 2009; Merijke Coenraad and Steffan Wilcox in mixed doubles in 2008.
Erica Hurtte, a 2019 graduate, was a three-time runner-up in girls’ singles from 2016-2018, falling to South Anchorage’s Christine Henry each time, and 2014 graduate Emma Good was a three-time runner-up in mixed doubles from 2011-2013 (with Johnny Joyce, Marc Heifetz and Jasper MacNaughton, respectively). Good would jokingly refer to herself as “the best runner-up player in the state.”
The Crimson Bears placed second as a team in the state championships in 2016 and 2023; third in 2007, 2008, 2012, 2013, 2017, 2021, 2022 and 2024; fourth in 2018; fifth in 2009, 2015 and 2019; fifth in 2025; seventh in 2010 and 2011; and ninth in 2014. There was no state tournament in 2020 due to COVID.
Other notable placings:
2007 - Nathan Graves/Lindsey Kelly, 2nd mixed doubles; Merijke Coenraad/Dream Suchitbharabitya, 4th girls doubles. Good Sport Team selections N. Graves/L. Kelly.
2008 - Aaron Cohen/Brian Vandor, 2nd boys doubles. GST - N. Graves/M. Coenraad.
2009 - A. Cohen/N. Graves, 2nd boys doubles. GST - Nick Parker/Laurel Messerschmidt.
2010 - Eddie Hurtte/Sage Davenport, 4th mixed doubles. GST - Marlena Sloss/Nathan Fosket.
2011 - E. Good/J. Joyce, 2nd mixed doubles; S. Davenport/M. Sloss, 3rd girls doubles. GST - M. Sloss/J. Joyce.
2012 - E. Good/M. Heifetz, 2nd mixed doubles; Pelle Arthur, 3rd girls singles; Sam Bibb/J. MacNaughton, 3rd boys doubles. GST - Jade Pilcher/S. Bibb.
2013 - E. Good/J. MacNaughton, 2nd mixed doubles; Sami Good/Kathe Tallmadge, 3rd girls doubles.
2014 - J. McNaughton/S. Bibb, 5th boys doubles; Jon Scudder/S. Good, 6th mixed doubles; Philip Wall, 6th boys singles; Bailey Davenport/Catherine Walsh 6th girls doubles.
2015 - Kelson McPherson, 5th boys singles.
2016 - Erica Hurtte, 2nd girls singles; Jacob Dale/Reuben MacNaughton, 4th boys doubles.
2017 - Erica Hurtte, 2nd girls singles; Adelie McMillan/Sammy McKnight, 2nd mixed doubles; J. Dale/Kolby Hoover, 3rd boys doubles. JDHS wins Team Sportsmanship Award.
2018 - Erica Hurtte, 2nd girls singles; A. McMillan/Olivia Moore, 4th girls doubles; Jaymie Collman/Sahil Bathija, 4th mixed doubles.
2019 - O. Moore/J. Collman, 3rd girls doubles; A. McMillan/Liam Penn, 4th mixed doubles; Anna Dale, 5th girls singles; William Smoker/Will Rehfeldt, 5th boys doubles. JDHS wins Team Sportsmanship Award.
2020 - COVID year, no state tournament.
2021 - A. Dale/J. Collman, 2nd girls doubles; Katie Pikul, 3rd girls singles; Callan Smith/L. Penn, 3rd boys doubles.
2022 - A. Dale/Brendan West, 3rd mixed doubles; Gloria Bixby/Chelsea Ligsay, 5th girls doubles; Elliot Welch, 5th boys singles.
2023 - C. Ligsay/Milina Mazon, 2nd girls doubles; E. Welch/B. West, 3rd boys doubles.
2024 - E. Welch, 3rd boys singles; Aurora Madsen/Isabella Reyes-Boyer, 5th girls doubles.
2025 - A. Madsen/Fallon Dale, 4th girls doubles; Paige Kirsch, 5th girls singles. Good Sport Team - E. Welch and I. Reyes-Boyer.
• Contact Klas Stolpe at sports@juneauindependent.com
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