Valley athletes shine during 2022 ASAA State Swim and Dive Championships

ANCHORAGE — Mat-Su Valley high school students gave strong performances during the 2022 ASAA/First National Bank State Swim and Dive Championships Saturday at Bartlett High School in Anchorage.

Colony, Palmer and Wasilla student-athletes took first place and set records for their respective schools.

Palmer High’s Ally Hrncir and Wasilla High’s Deshawn Campbell were crowned the state diving champions. Hrncir took first place in the girls one meter diving competition, setting a new record for the school with a final score of 425.55. Campbell took first place for the boys one meter diving competition with a final score of 413.00.

Despite the first-place state championship award and going undefeated this year, Campbell said that he wanted to do even better.

“I could have got a better score,” Campbell said.

Colony’s Jasmine Anderson also earned state gold, winning the girls championship in the 100-yard breaststroke. Anderson helped lead Colony to a runner-up finish in the girls team standings.

Colony’s head swim coach Kaitlin Dault said that she was proud of her students’ accomplishments this year.

“They pulled off a second place, which is amazing,” Dault said of the Colony girls.

This marks the highest team finish at the state meet for the Colony girls in school history. The Knights finished nine points behind the state champion Dimond Lynx. The girls took second in the 200 individual medley with Hannah Cooper swimming backstroke, Anderson swimming breaststroke, Kylie Benner swimming butterfly and Merica Miller swimming freestyle. They took second in the 400 freestyle relay with Lori Houghton, Benner, Anderson and Miller. The group broke a school record. Anderson was also second in the 200 IM. Miller was fourth in both the 100 and 200 freestyle races. Benner was fourth in the 100 butterfly and eighth in the 200 freestyle. Cooper placed third in the 500 freestyle and eighth in the 200 freestyle. Houghton was fifth in the 200 IM.

Colony also earned the girls academic award.

Hrncir and Campbell led the way for a dominant weekend for Valley divers.

Dault marveled at Hrncir and all the Valley student athletes’ performance at this year’s state championship.

“The kids worked really hard. It was a tight race. It was really cool to see Ally get first in state,” Dault said.

Wasilla’s Travis Thorton took second place in the boys dive with a final score of 368.85, and his teammate Calvin Musgrave took fourth place with a final score of 349.75. Palmer’s Craig Elledge was sixth in boys diving.

Audrey Dietz earned second place for WHS in the girls with a final score of 400.20. Charlize McManus earned fourth for CHS with a final score of 363.10 and set a new record for the school. Wasilla’s Kichelle Frizzelle was seventh in girls diving.

In boys swimming, Colony’s Kristofer Vangorder was fifth in the 50 and 100 freestyle races, and Kellen DenBleyker was fifth in the 500 freestyle.

Dault said that she works closely with WHS head coach Hadley Remley and PHS head coach Chris Morgan, sharing resources to ensure all the Valley students have every opportunity to push themselves to new heights and cheer each other on at each competition.

“We all coach together,” Dault said. “Swimmers are just great at supporting each other.”

Contact Mat-Su Valley Frontiersman reporter Jacob Mann at jacob.mann@frontiersman.com