AOTW: Sitka stars shine in spring sports state championship seasons

ANCHORAGE, Alaska (KTUU) - Sitka High School will need to make more space in their their trophy case to display the hardware collected this spring sports season.

Track star Clare Mullin capped off an illustrious prep running career with three more individual state titles at the 2025 State Track & Field Championships; in the 800-meter, 1600m and 3200m events.

The future Gonzaga Bulldog says those were her 9th, 10th and 11th track state titles. She also has two from her cross country running career.

”I’d say this year was extra special just because it was the last one, but I definitely have so many good memories of being on this track, being in Palmer and being with my team, so it is definitely something special here in Alaska that we have,” Mullin said after her final high school race.

This sparked a magical two-week run for the proud sports community in Southeast Alaska.

”My community is so supportive of me, of our whole team," Mullin added.

“I get good wishes all the time from them, so it means a lot to just be able to represent them here and hopefully make them proud.”

In the Division II State Softball Championship, junior Alina Lebahn hit a walk-off grand slam to lift Sitka over Soldotna in an instant classic that featured eight lead changes.

“It’s so satisfying, obviously I hit the walk off, but as a team, we fought for it and we earned it for ourselves,” Lebahn said after the hit of her life.

“It felt very ‘Disney Channel’ to me,” Sitka head coach Jael McCarty said.

A few hours later, the Sitka baseball program blanked the defending state champs 7-0 in the title game, bringing back two state trophies in the same day.

“As a community, it’s huge, really means a lot,” Brett Ross said, who went 3-4 with 2 RBI’s in the win.

“It’s been a lot time coming, ever since we were young, it’s unbelievable. It’s big, it’s fun we get to celebrate with them too.”

”It means everything to us, it’s been 8 years since we’ve won a state title and it’s great to do it senior year and bring a championship home to our school and our community,” Bryce Calhoun said, who threw eight strikeouts in a complete game shutout.

“Sitka has always put out good teams. We are a small town, but we fight, we push through,” head coach Kenny Carley added.

The 2025 spring sports championship season belonged to Sitka, Alaska.

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