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JDHS tennis team honors senior players
Crimson Bears seniors reflect on careers during Region V tournament
By Aurora Madsen
For the Juneau Independent
The Juneau-Douglas High School: Yadaa.at Kalé Crimson Bears tennis team recognized its six senior players during this week’s Region V tennis championships at Juneau’s Alaska Club Valley tennis courts.
Following are the JDHS senior tennis profiles.
ISAAC HILL
Isaac Hill is a fourth-year tennis player on the team. His teammates know him for his enthusiasm at practice, his unreturnable serve and his obsession with grind drinks.
Isaac started playing tennis during the summer before his freshman year, but grew up as a strong soccer player. He wishes he had started learning tennis earlier, but he thinks his freshman-year self would “think highly” of his skills now and “be intimidated,” he says.
Isaac was chosen to represent JDHS at the 2025 ASAA Mixed Doubles Tennis Tournament last year with his teammate, 2026 graduate Bella Reyes-Boyer, and hopes to compete again this year.
Throughout his four years of tennis, he says his favorite memories have been on the Anchorage Invitational team trips. “They were a great way to spend time with the team and have fun and get experience,” he says, especially remembering “playing card games and getting food” with the team.
After graduating high school, Isaac hopes to attend college somewhere outside of Alaska and “definitely keep playing tennis.”
He says he will miss the high school team, especially the “fun coaches, teammates, and environment at practice.” Isaac hopes to be remembered for his “bright pink tennis shoes.”
RILEY DALE
Riley began playing tennis during the summer before her freshman year, taking lessons with Coach Mona Mametsuka, like many new tennis players in Juneau.
She’s enjoyed all four years on the team, but her favorite memories are “winning girls’ doubles in the region tournament” during her junior year and “hanging out and watching movies with the team,” she says. Riley believes her freshman-year self would be surprised by how much she has grown and improved.
Last year, Riley was chosen to represent JDHS at the 2025 ASAA Girls’ Doubles Tennis Tournament with her partner, current senior Aurora Madsen, and hopes to compete in the event again this year.
After graduating high school, Riley hopes to attend nursing school and earn her CRNA license in pediatric anesthesia. She also hopes to continue playing tennis for fun.
DAN DEGENER
Dan Degener is a third-year tennis player on the team. His teammates know him for his laid-back nature and fondness for shawarma.
He started playing tennis during his sophomore year of high school, taking lessons with Coach Mona Mametsuka.
Dan was chosen to represent JDHS at the 2025 ASAA Boys’ Doubles Tennis Tournament last year, with his partner, current sophomore Isaac Kirsch, and hopes to compete again this year.
During each season, Dan has managed being a multi-sport athlete, often coming straight from cross-country practice to tennis practice.
Dan notes that he particularly enjoys “traveling with the tennis team and making memories.” His biggest piece of advice to younger players on the team would be to “keep playing during the off-season,” which he points out makes a big difference in maintaining skill consistency.
After high school, Dan plans to study mechanical engineering at a college on the West Coast. He also hopes to keep playing tennis.
KATHERINE HEIB
Katherine is a third-year player on the team, having started the summer before her sophomore year of high school. Tennis is the first sport she has played, which was difficult for her, but also extremely rewarding. She’s enjoyed building her endurance and agility each day at practice and hopes her teammates remember her for “the significant effort” she put in and her “enthusiasm on the court.”
Her advice to younger players on the team is to “keep going at it. Even if you have a day where none of your shots go in, you just have to keep going.”
After graduating high school, she hopes to study anthropology or a history-related subject. She also hopes to keep playing tennis for fun.
STAHLY SHEEHAN
Stahly Sheehan is playing her first year on the team, having started tennis just two months ago “just to try something new,” she says.
However, Stahly is a lifelong hockey player who will be entering her 11th year in the sport this winter.
Her biggest struggle has been joining the tennis team later than her teammates, but she notes that this season has been “super fun.”
Her favorite memory from the season was an intense mixed doubles match at the Anchorage Invitational earlier this month. She recounts a “really difficult but really fun tiebreaker,” in which she won the match with her teammate, current sophomore Oscar Lamb, against a mixed doubles team from West Anchorage High School.
She hopes to be remembered by her team for her “silly and fun attitude at practices.”
After graduating high school, Stahly hopes to study psychology at a university down south and keep playing tennis for fun.
NOTE: JDHS senior Aurora Madsen is in her third year as editor of the school's newspaper, the Crimson Chronicle. Madsen is also a contributor to the Juneau Independent. Following is her senior tennis profile.
AURORA MADSEN
Aurora is a fourth-year player on the team, having started playing tennis her freshman year of high school.
Aurora represented JDHS at the 2025 ASAA Girls’ Doubles Tennis Tournament last year with her partner, current senior Riley Dale, and hopes to compete again this year.
Her favorite memories with the team have been getting froyo and jumping into Auke Lake after practices.
She believes her freshman-year self would be proud of the hard work she has put in and happy to see it has paid off.
After graduating high school, Aurora plans to study engineering at a university on the West Coast and continue playing tennis for fun.
• Aurora Madsen can be contacted via the Juneau Independent’s editor at editor@juneauindependent.com. Contact Klas Stolpe at sports@juneauindependent.com
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