The Kenai Peninsula Borough Assembly commended the Soldotna High School girls’ wrestling team on their first ever three-peat state championship title during their last meeting on Jan. 20. SoHi sent eight team members to the Alaska School Activity Association State Girls Wrestling Tournament, held in Anchorage Dec. 19-20. Two girls left with state titles and five others placed.
Assembly member Sergeant Truesdell, who represents Soldotna, sponsored the bill. Truesdell was born and raised in Soldotna and grew up wrestling. In 1998, he was the wrestling coach at SoHi and the middle school, and he pushed the Kenai Peninsula Borough School District to allow girls to participate in wrestling. Prior to the rule change, girls were only allowed to play volleyball.
“I know what it takes to be a wrestler,” Truesdsell said Wednesday. “It’s a very difficult physical and mental grind, and that’s why I have so much respect for wrestlers in general. It was a cool moment for me as an assembly member to be able to initiate the resolution and have the team show up with their coaches.”
Athletes Naomi Keller and Mia Hannevold both won state championship titles. Valerie McAnelley was runner-up, and Carissa Heitstuman, Katara Lepule and Infinity-Ann Asiata-Higa all placed third in their respective weight classes. Rowan Peck came in fourth.
Truesdell and borough Mayor Peter Micciche, who co-sponsored the resolution, presented each of the eight girls with certificates of achievement before posing for a photo with the team during the meeting. The assembly also sent copies of the official resolution to SoHi principal Tabitha Blades and each of the seven assistant wrestling coaches.
In a December interview with the Clarion, head coach Pete Dickinson said last season was the third time the Stars have won a state title. He chuckled before adding that the first time was in 2023 and the second was in 2024.
“It was pretty crazy for me, and I was really proud of myself for getting there,” Naomi Keller said of standing on the podium, in a December text to the Clarion.
During the meeting’s closing comments, Truesdell said he loved having the opportunity to recognize the team, saying “those are my people.”
“I always feel at home when there’s wrestlers around,” he said.
