Alaska’s best swimmers shine on the big stage at ASAA state meet

ANCHORAGE, Alaska (KTUU) – A brand new state file, a dynasty persevering with its legacy, and shock placement highlighted the 2022 ASAA State Swim and Dive Championships over the weekend as Alaska’s swiftest swimmers competed for 3 days on the Bartlett Pool.

After 24 complete occasions, the Service Cougar Boys ran away with the staff title with 118 factors — 67 factors forward of the runner-ups. Service made a splash within the relay occasions, claiming gold within the 200-yard medley (1 minute, 37.46 seconds), the 200-yard freestyle (1:29.42), and the 400-yard freestyle (3:15.30), with particular person victories from sophomore Benjamin Worth within the 200-yard IM (1:55.43), junior Conrad Fawcett within the 500-yard freestyle (4:42.93) and senior William Kitchen within the 100-yard Backstroke (52.65).

The story out of Seward final 12 months was, after all, Olympic gold medalist Lydia Jacoby successful a pair of state titles, however this 12 months, it was the group of simply 5 Seahawk boys that received this system its first Area III title the week prior. As remaining standings have been being introduced Saturday in reverse order, disbelief washed over their faces as groups continued to be rattled off earlier than Seward was positioned in a tie for second total with Eagle River at 51 factors.

”Actually, we felt type of confused, we didn’t suppose we have been going to put as excessive as we did. However we’re actually joyful that we did, it’s fairly cool,” freshman Iver Gates stated.

”It means lots, we’re tremendous joyful to even have the chance to return out right here and carry out,” junior Nick Abrosiani stated.

“It positively is a confidence booster, as a result of we now have all put in years upon years of expertise into this sport and to see all of it add up so far is wonderful,” senior Jackson Chook stated.

”I’ve to double test the maths right here, as a result of it appears fairly far fetched. It doesn’t really feel actual but, I don’t suppose it should really feel actual for a very very long time,” Seward head coach Solomon D’Amico stated.

“I couldn’t be happier for these guys, it has been eight years of labor behind the scenes. They’re a giant a part of a former swimmer of ours — she fairly well-known — they have been within the trenches together with her day in and time out, so they’re part of her story as visa versa.”

That well-known swimmer is, after all, Jacoby.

On the lady’s aspect, the Dimond dynasty lives on. The Lynx tallied 86 factors to edge out Colony (77) for his or her seventh straight state championship. The Maroon and Gold kicked off the state meet with a 200-yard medley relay victory in Occasion 1 (1:49.57) earlier than wrapping it up with a relay win within the 400-yard freestyle in Occasion 23 (3:41.69), whereas seeing a person victory from senior Isabelle Borke within the 50-yard freestyle (23.99).

Within the Diving Championships, Wasilla’s Deshawn Campbell scored a 413 to assert the boy’s title, whereas senior Ally Hrncir set a Palmer Excessive Faculty file with a rating of 425.55 to win the lady’s competitors.

Carly Nelson, coming from the waters of Homer, received the lady’s Most Excellent Competitor Award after victories within the 100-yard butterfly (57.18) and the 500-yard freestyle (5:11.47) — which isn’t frequent within the sport of swimming — to be the most effective in each a distance and dash occasion.

”Usually they type of cancel one another out within the coaching, however for me, we do a number of distance work and cardio stuff, which is nice however type of negatively impacts my fly. We’re making ready going to a meet in Oregon in December, so I’m on level to go finest instances at Oregon.”

Thunder Mountain’s P.J. Foy left little to debate for the boy’s Most Excellent Competitor Award after his efficiency within the 100 Yard Butterfly. The junior clocked in at 48.46 seconds to set a brand new Alaska Excessive Faculty state file, breaking a 14-year-old file additionally set by somebody from the state’s capital — Cody Brunette of Juneau-Douglas in 2008 at 49.19.

”I simply needed to swim and do my finest, I don’t care a few title or something,” Foy stated. “I used to be scared as a result of I used to be simply sick, actually sick, so I used to be frightened about my taper however my teammates they actually helped push me and assist me do my finest.

”It feels good to signify my staff extra particularly than my faculty, as a result of I don’t know that lots of people at my faculty know that I’m right here this week, so it’s type of humorous. However they’ll know, it’s good.”

As a sophomore, Foy received particular person state titles within the 200-yard IM and the 100-yard breaststroke, so make that 4 state championships in 4 completely different occasions for the back-to-back Most Excellent Competitor with another 12 months to rack up the accolades.

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