2023 Alaska Swimming State Championships
- April 27-30, 2023
- Bartlett High School, Anchorage, Alaska
- 25 yard (SCY), Prelims/Finals
- Championship Site
- Individual High Point Results
- Team Scores
- Full Meet Results
Another young Alaska breaststroker is rising to the top in the Great Frontier. Jasmine Anderson from the Chugiak Aquatics Club in suburban Anchorage swept the breaststroke races and booked her ticket to Summer Juniors three weeks ago at Bartlett High School, following in the tradition of the defending Olympic Champion in the 100 meter race Lydia Jacoby, who is also from Alaska.
Anderson won the 200 breaststroke in 2:14.34, which combined with a 2:16.73 in prelims knocked more than 6 seconds off her previous personal best in the event.
It has been a big run for her this spring. Last season, she finisher her year with a 2:20.13 at the Alaska JOs; she dropped that to 2:19.58 at Sectionals in March, and now blew straight through the Winter Juniors standard to clear the Summer Juniors mark of 2:15.49.
That was one of two wins for her at the meet. She also won the 100 breaststroke in 1:02.95 (after 1:02.73 in prelims). That shaved .01 seconds off her best time from Sectionals.
Like Jacoby, Anderson developed faster in the 100 and the 200, but also like Jacoby, Anderson is catching up in the longer distance.
Anderson is a rising high school senior who has not yet announced her collegiate commitment.
She wasn’t the only Chugiak swimmer to show out during the meet. 16-year-old Wes Mank split 22.78 leading off the team’s winning 200 medley relay, tipping off a record-setting meet for him. His runner-up time of 50.22 in the 100 back broke the 15-16 LSC Record of 50.27 that was set by Talon Lindquist in 2015.
Other Notable Performances:
- PJ Foy from the Glacier Swim Club won 7 races, which included a best time in the 100 back (49.73) and 400 IM (4:06.67). He also won the 50 free (20.56), 1000 free (9:48.50), 1650 free (16:25.10), and 200 back (1:50.66) – out-touching Mank by .02 seconds in the latter of those events. He’s committed to swim at North Carolina in fall 2024.
- Carly Nelson from the Kachemak Swim Club won 7 races in the senior age group, including personal bests in the 100 free (51.97), 500 free (5:05.01), 1000 free (10:33.55), 1650 free (17:12.77), 100 fly (56.32), 200 fly (2:04.37), and 400 IM (4:26.69). Those times in the 1650 free, 200 fly, and 400 IM are all LSC Records in the 17-18 age group, even with more than a year left for her there. The 200 fly record of 2:04.96 had stood since 2008, when Meghan Cavanaugh broke the mark.
- Preston Kwon from the Northern Lights Swim Club swept the boys’ breaststrokes at only 16. He won the 100 in 58.02 and the 200 in 2:05.37. He swam a lot of best times at the meet, though none were in the breaststroke events. He’s another class of 2024 swimmer, making up part of one of the best classes the state has ever seen. She’s another high school junior.
- Braxton Kelly from Stingray Swim Team won 7 events as well out of the 11-12 age group, in spite of being in the younger end of that group. The highlights included many best times, like a 1:06.42 in the 100 back and a 58.58 in the 100 free.
- Valerie Peimann from Glacier Swim Club won 7 races in the 13-14 girls’ age group, including a 37-second drop in the 1650 freestyle.