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Kiessling ‘flies’ to top state finish at swim championships
JDHS boys earn third-place team standing; Petersburg’s Hulebak, Sitka relay win titles
By Klas Stolpe
Juneau Independent
Juneau-Douglas High School: Yadaa.at Kalé junior Liam Kiessling swam his dream race at Saturday’s ASAA Swim and Dive State Championships in Anchorage’s Bartlett High School pool, hitting a 50.26-second 100-yard butterfly for the top spot on the podium.
“Being the 100 fly state champ is something I have been trying to do for three years,” Kiessling said. “Last year I got second in the 100 back, but this year I brought it home with the 100 fly and I couldn’t be happier. Being a state champ is something I wanted so bad. And I was all smiles going up to the block, I am really happy.”
The Bartlett pool race announcer described the race in real time to the packed stands and swimmers lining the pool deck. The names of Kiessling, senior teammate Josh Edwards, Chugiak junior Gavin Heath, Monroe sophomore Braxton Kelly, Kenai sophomore Samual Merritt, Petersburg freshman Hakon Eddy and Service senior Leutian McDonald were called out over and over through the swim.
“I was underwater,” Kiessling said. “I can usually see out of the corner of my eye where they are, right next to me. The moment of that second turn I was like, ‘I got this.’ And I brought it home. I was super, super stoked.”
Kiessling said his training began at the end of last season’s state championships and progressed through the summer.
“I have been training all season, going to every practice, missed two weeks, but I have been attending every practice and trying my very hardest with this stroke. It really dawned on me halfway through this season that I really needed to lock it down and start training for this. So right when I came back I was hammering it down, doing these sets.”
Kiessling touched the wall ahead of Monroe’s Kelly (51.41), with Edwards third (51.44) and the final podium spot going to Chugiak’s Heath (53.41).
“Getting this first place is great for me, it helped the team get third place overall in the state,” Kiessling said. “And my friends at home have been tracking me, seeing how I have been doing. They are really excited that I won this. And this is just such a moment. To win state is really something. And I am super stoked for our girls and how they really brought it home this meet.”
The JDHS boys placed third in the overall team standings with 81 points. The Eagle River Wolves scored 132 points to claim the boys team title and the Sitka Wolves placed second with 88. The Kenai Kardinals and Colony Knights tied for the final team podium position with 45.
“The competition on the boys’ side was outstanding,” JDHS head coach Amber Kelly said. “Eagle River and Sitka had incredibly strong teams, and they pushed our boys to compete at their highest level. I am extremely proud of how our boys responded to that competition and fought for every point throughout the meet.”
The Crimson Bears relays were an important part of the team’s success with Kiessling (back), Edwards (breast), sophomore Levi Phelps (fly) and senior Kaden Aldrich (free) going down to a fingernail stretch for the wall against Eagle River senior Matthew Baker, junior CJ Rollins, sophomore Noah Unks and sophomore Andrew Deisseroth in the 200-yard medley relay. The Wolves won in 1:37.29 to JDHS’ 1:37.46.
Aldrich, Kiessling, Phelps and Edwards were in a close battle with Sitka in the meet’s final event, the 400-yard boys freestyle relay. Sitka junior Tommy McCarthy, freshman Ben Lihou, and seniors Zach Martens and Corin Colliver earned a 3:10.93 win to JDHS’ 3:14.80, with ERHS placing third in 3:18.38.
JDHS received earlier key scoring points in the boys 200-yard free relay with Aldrich, sophomore Keagen Andrews, senior Sam Pallenberg and Phelps placing fourth in 1:31.90, but each swam a personal best time for their leg. Sitka’s McCarthy, sophomore Cedar Powers, Lihou and Colliver won with 1:27.80, just ahead of ERHS’ 1:27.98 and Colony’s 1:30.73.
JDHS senior diver Easton Berger was in title contention through the entire meet. After his 11-dive total, Berger placed second with a final score of 383.20. Wasilla senior Colter Gose (449.55) placed first and Colony sophomore Brody Westrick (357.80) third. JDHS senior Brady Newport scored 308.40 for seventh. JDHS freshman Treaus Mateo had a strong showing in the prelims and with his first state meet under his belt will build for the future.
“Oh man, I feel really good,” Berger said. “I am very happy about tonight’s dives. I would watch what the people ahead of me would perform their dives and I would tell myself ‘I know I am capable of diving at the same level they are.’ I applied that to myself, told myself I could keep up with them. It is unfortunate I am a senior and I would be lying to say I did not want to go for the first-place spot, but I am very happy with how I did. I know, deep down, that I performed to the best of my ability and that makes me really happy.”
Berger’s hardest dive was the back one-and-a-half, and he saved it for a key moment to stay with Gose and Westrick.
“The entire season I was a little nervous about throwing it,” Berger said. “I wasn’t confident with those blind back entries. During the entire meet I was watching how they were throwing them and I was listening to the judges as well to see if there were any tips they could give me on how I could perform a little better. So I threw this dive and I actually did it way better than I have ever done it before. I think in past meets I scored 4a and 5s on this dive but this time was 7a and 6s, which was very exciting. It was intense, very difficult to keep up with the level of the top divers. Especially being from Juneau where there is no club diving, so just the three months of high school is basically the only time I get. It is hard. But the other divers there were very supportive to us.”
On the podium, top diver Gose gifted Berger a cowboy hat to wear.
“He did,” Berger said. “And that was very cool. I really don’t know what that was about, I think their whole team wears cowboy hats for some reason and I feel honored that they include me in that.”
Berger was also impressed by senior teammate Brady Newport who placed seventh in finals.
“I could not be more proud of Brady,” Berger said. “For him making finals as a first-year diver. I always hear him talking about wishing to place higher, but I just want him to understand that he is amazing.”
In individual events, Aldrich placed second in the 200 free, hitting 1:45.45, with ERHS senior Nate Shockley winning in 1:43.49.
“It felt really good being able to help the team get this far in state, especially having the boys team move up six places from last year,” Aldrich said. “Being able to compete on the relays and help get us those second places was a great feeling for me, knowing that I was able to help contribute. Even not on the relays, just the aspect of being there to support the team and seeing all my teammates get best times, that was almost better than my own races to me. I love being able to watch my teammates and friends grow and improve. That makes the meet so much more worth it seeing the people around me see the results of their hard work at the same time as me.”
JDHS head coach Amber Kelly said, “Watching Kaden’s freestyle was one of the highlights of the weekend. He had an incredible race. Another standout moment was the boys’ 100 butterfly, where Liam took first and Josh third. Those two have been pushing each other all season, and watching them race against each other one final time was something special. Seeing their hard work come together in that race was an incredible moment as their coach. One of the biggest surprises for me this weekend was Levi Phelps. About three weeks ago, Levi texted me and told me he thought the 100 backstroke would be his best event. I’m so glad I listened to him because he was absolutely right.”
Phelps won a 100-back swim-off on Friday to earn finals Saturday. His demanding Saturday lineup included the 200 medley relay, 200 freestyle relay, 100 back, and 400 freestyle relay.
“Having that many events stacked so closely together is physically demanding,” coach Kelly said. “But Levi stepped up to the challenge and delivered some amazing swims. Watching him trust his instincts, believe in himself, and rise to the occasion was one of my favorite moments of the weekend.”
Kiessling placed third in the 100-back in 54.14, with Monroe’s Braxton winning in 52.59, Kenai junior Lyman McBride second in 52.99 and Phelps eighth in 57.95. Edwards notched fourth in the boys 100-yard breaststroke in 1:01.32, with ERHS freshman Evan Olson winning in 1:00.18.
“It means a lot to see our hard work pay off,” Edwards said. “We spend countless hours training for these moments and I am just so happy to be here and a part of this amazing team. Especially being a senior knowing I won’t be with the team next year, I just wanted to give it my all.”
Petersburg freshman Cyrus Hulebak was the only other Southeast swimmer to top the boys podium, winning the 200 IM in 1:58.75, defeating Sitka’s Martens, who hit 2:00.06 and Eagle River sophomore Noah Unks, members of the first- and second-place boys teams.
“I am just super happy because after regions I came into prelims seeded second,” Hulebak said. “So I was happy I was able to go into finals and actually win. I knew that I could beat Zach in the backstroke and if I was able to get ahead of him on the backstroke then I could win. So after the fly I went out like a :24 and I just knew I was going to win after the first 50. That helped me stay in a good mindset throughout the race.”
Hulebak noted that Petersburg will be overjoyed with the win.
“It is probably going to be a big deal,” Hulebak said. “We will probably have a noise parade. I am happy about that. The community of swimming is pretty nice compared to other sports. They support you and talk to you. I feel like it is one of the nicer group of people around you. In Petersburg High School swim, we do a lot of yardage and work hard. And we didn’t even have a pool the first few weeks of the season. So they had to work us pretty hard because we were missing a lot of swimming time.”
Eagle River senior Matthew Baker was selected as the boys Outstanding Competitor of the state meet, earning wins in the boys 50-yard free (21.10), 100 free (46.27) and as part of the ERHS’s winning 200-yard medley relay (fly leg) and second-place 200-yard free relay (anchor leg).
“It is an amazing feeling,” Baker said. “Eagle River has been trying for a long time to win state and this is our first time so I am really happy about it. And for me as well personally. I got some good times today, both best times in my individuals and relay times as well.”
Baker was surprised with the individual honor.
“Absolutely did not expect that,” Baker said. “Friday’s 50 and 100 performances were not great at all, but today I was feeling good and went out there and got it done. For Eagle River this is great. Swimming is one of the best sports at Eagle River so I am sure our town and school are really happy to hear about it. This will be hard to top, I guess we have to head to college and see how it goes.”
The Team Sportsmanship Award was won by Kodiak High School and the Team Academic Award went to Dimond High School.
“I could not have asked for a better season in my first year as head coach,” JDHS coach Amber Kelly said. “This team has worked incredibly hard, overcome challenges, and continued to grow throughout the season. Of course, winning a girls’ state championship and seeing our boys finish third is an incredible accomplishment, but what makes this season so special is the group of athletes I got to coach. I am proud of their performances, but I am even prouder of their character, their commitment to one another, and the way they represented Juneau-Douglas throughout the season. It has been an unforgettable first year, and I am incredibly grateful to have been part of it. I honestly could not be prouder of how our swimmers and divers performed this weekend. Not everyone had their best time or best dive, but that doesn’t take away from what they accomplished. Every athlete worked incredibly hard to earn their spot at State, and they left everything they had in the pool. Watching them compete, support one another, and celebrate each other’s accomplishments was incredible.”
Region tournament officials noted that JDHS was one of the most supportive and loudest teams at the pool.
“That comment meant so much to me because it reflects exactly what we’ve worked toward all season,” coach Kelly said. “These athletes genuinely care about one another. They celebrate each other’s successes, encourage each other through difficult moments, and show up for their teammates. That kind of support and sportsmanship speaks volumes about who they are as individuals and as a team. To me, that’s just as important as winning a state championship.”
2026 BOYS STATE SWIM AWARDS/RESULTS
• Contact Klas Stolpe at sports@juneauindependent.com
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