By JEFF HELMINIAK
Peninsula Clarion
This summer, Seward senior Lydia Jacoby became the first Alaskan to swim at the Olympics.
Friday and Saturday, Kenai Peninsula schools will be represented by two Olympian swimmers at the state swimming and diving meet at Bartlett High School in Anchorage.
One, of course, will be Jacoby, who won the gold medal in the 100-meter breaststroke and a silver in the 400 medley relay.
The second will be Homer sophomore Jillian Crooks, who swam in the 100-meter freestyle at the Olympics this summer at 15 years old. Representing the Cayman Islands, Crooks finished second in her heat but did not advance to the semifinals.
Jacoby and Crooks both have the top seed in both of their individual events at state.
Jacoby has the top seed in the 100-yard breaststroke at 1:00.22. Jacoby’s state record, set in 2019, is 1:00.61. The Seward senior also will compete in the 200 individual medley, where her seed time is 2:07.88 and the state record is the 2:03.61 of Kodiak’s Tahna Lindquist in 2014.
Crooks is seeded first in the 100 freestyle with a seed time of 51.13, with the state record being 50.51 by Kodiak’s Ila Hughes in 2014. In the 200 freestyle, Crooks has a seed time of 1:50.54, with the state record standing at 1:50.02 by East’s Meghan Cavanaugh in 2007.
Homer assistant coach Dana Jaworski said Homer head coach Caleb Miller coached Crooks as a child.
“She was having some difficulty getting back home so she came here for a couple of weeks to train,” Jaworski said of Crooks. “She was having some issues with a quarantine and vaccination card.
“She told her mom she wanted to stay. She loves Alaska and loves the kids.”
Crooks enrolled in the Connections home-school program and was able to start competing for the Mariners in early October.
“We have some pretty awesome kids in Homer, and she’s happy to have workout buddies,” Jaworski said. “Carly Nelson and Hunter Fry definitely hang with her in workouts. Likewise, the energy she brings to the pool strengthens the team overall.”
The results were apparent at the Northern Lights Conference this past weekend, where Crooks set new conference records in the 100 and 200 freestyles, and Nelson, a sophomore, set a new record in the 100 butterfly.
Nelson is seeded third in the 100 freestyle and fourth in the 100 butterfly at state.
Crooks and Nelson also join McKenna Carlin and Cassidy Carroll on a 200 freestyle relay seeded third. Both Carlin and Carroll are freshmen.
Jaworski said Crooks has expressed interest in finishing her high school career in Homer.
“I just think the future is bright for this team,” the assistant coach said. “There’s potentially a lot of depth and a lot of top swimmers.”
Senior Skyler Rodriguez, in the 100 butterfly, and junior Hunter Fry, in the 500 freestyle, also will compete at state.
Solomon D’ Amico, Seward’s head coach, said having Jacoby and Crooks around is great for the peninsula and the state.
“When you have to be your best, you rise to that occasion,” D’ Amico said. “Maybe you don’t win, but getting a chance to race against the best competition is pretty special.
“I think Alaska is much better for it.”
D’ Amico said that when Jacoby qualified for the Olympics this summer and went on to win a gold medal, it was obvious her life had changed.
The coach appreciates the way the community of Seward has allowed Jacoby to have as normal of a senior year as possible.
“In fall, winter and spring, this is really our town — the real Seward,” D’ Amico said of the community that draws heavy tourist traffic in the summer. “We all know to give each other space, so it hasn’t been a huge lift trying to convey to the town that this is a kid that needs to have a senior year.”
In particular, D’ Amico said all elements of the swim program have done a great job.
Coaches Greer Ethridge, Myriah Ariza-Balter, Cassidy Kelly and Andy Koster, and parents Leslie Jacoby and Sarah Spanos, kept things rolling when Lydia and D’ Amico left for Europe for a few weeks in the middle of the season for international competition.
D’ Amico also said the other two seniors on the team, Wren Dougherty and Peter Spanos, had a great season of leadership and dedication to the team.
“All the kids grew up swimming with Lydia,” D’ Amico said. “Those two set the tone keeping things really consistent and fun. I can’t say enough about what they brought to the team.”
The coach also said it means a lot to Jacoby to have so many teammates joining her at state. Sophomore Mia Nappi is seeded fifth in the 100 breaststroke and eighth in the 100 butterfly. D’ Amico said that gives her a great shot at making the finals in both events.
Junior Jackson Bird will swim the 200 IM, junior Paxton Hill will swim the 100 butterfly and 100 backstroke and sophomore Bengimin Ambrosiani will swim the 100 backstroke.
“I’d like to see them all with their best times — that’s tremendous cause for celebration,” D’ Amico said. “I try to take a dedicated, consistent approach to reenforce the notion that you’ve got to be happy with your best time. That’s one heck of an accomplishment.”
Soldotna will be represented at state by Heidi Snyder in the 100 and 500 freestyles, Nikita Monyahan in the 500 freestyle, Madison Snyder in the 100 breaststroke and Abriella Werner in diving.
Soldotna coach Luke Herman wrote in an email that the conference meet went really well for his team.
“All of our athletes had a phenomenal meet at Regions,” he wrote. “All of the hard work plus an electric team atmosphere helped push these four athletes to qualify. Abriella, Heidi, Madison and Nikita are wonderful student-athletes and we are all excited to watch them perform.”
Herman wrote that state is a great opportunity for the four.
“Our main goal for the meet is to use it as a learning experience,” he wrote. “For most of the athletes, this is their first high school state meet. Having a chance to race and dive against the best athletes in the state will give them a chance to learn and grow, as well as give them an idea of what to expect in the future.”
Kenai Central also qualfied four for state — Koda Poulin in the 200 and 500 freestyles, Hager Elserry in the 100 butterfly and 100 backstroke, Madison McDonald in the 500 freestyle and Samuel Anderson in the 100 backstroke.
Spectators at the meet will be limited to two per athlete, with schools coordinating how to issue vouchers to parents and others. Spectators must wear masks at all times and are restricted to the areas above the swim/dive deck. The event will be streamed, with the link available at asaa.org.
Kenai Peninsula state swimming qualifiers
Homer — Jillian Crooks (200 freestyle, 100 freestyle); Carly Nelson (100 butterfly, 100 freestyle); Skyler Rodriguez (100 butterfly); Hunter Fry (500 freestyle); 200 freestyle relay (Jillian Crooks, Carly Nelson, McKenna Carlin, Cassidy Carroll, Hazel Pearson, Annabelle Franciscone, Olivia Overdorf, Caitlin Gamble)
Kenai Central — Koda Poulin (200 freestyle, 500 freestyle); Hager Elserry (100 butterfly, 100 backstroke); Madison McDonald (500 freestyle); Samuel Anderson (100 backstroke).
Seward — Lydia Jacoby (200 IM, 100 breaststroke); Jackson Bird (200 IM); Mia Nappi (100 butterfly, 100 breaststroke); Paxton Hill (100 butterfly, 100 backstroke); Bengimin Ambrosiani (100 backstroke).
Soldotna — Abriella Werner (diving); Heidi Snyder (100 freestyle, 500 freestyle); Nikita Monyahan (500 freestyle); Madison Snyder (100 breaststroke).
