One loss in November forced James Stickler to confront something he hadn’t needed to before.
“I realized I’m not unbeatable,” Stickler said. “I needed to be more patient.”
That realization carried the Haines High School senior through the remainder of his final season and onto the top step of the podium. On Dec. 20 in Anchorage, Stickler captured the 215-pound state championship at the Alaska State Wrestling Championships, finishing the year 25-1, closing his high school career as the top state wrestler in his weight class.
Stickler’s lone loss came in mid-November at the Lancer Smith Memorial Wrestling Tournament, where he was defeated by Gage Runnels of the Student Wrestling Development Program in Fairbanks by technical fall, 21-2. Stickler said the loss shook his confidence but ultimately reshaped his approach.
Rather than forcing points, Stickler slowed down, focused on timing and leaned into patience. The shift paid off quickly. In mid-December, he reclaimed his Southeast Conference title with a 19-4 technical fall over Wrangell’s Cody Barnes. A week later, Stickler faced Barnes again in the state finals, this time winning 15-7 by majority decision.
The finals match did not begin smoothly. Early in the bout, Stickler was briefly on his back after attempting a risky move near the mat edge.
“That was pretty scary,” Stickler said. “But I felt comfortable enough to know I was going to win.”
He regrouped, took control of the pace, and steadily pulled away. The victory marked a reversal from the previous season, when Stickler finished second at state as a junior, losing in the finals to Mount Edgecumbe’s RJ Didrickson, who later went on to wrestle at Colorado State University.
This year’s title also highlighted a strong overall showing for Haines wrestling at the state tournament. Despite sending just three wrestlers to Anchorage after weather-related travel disruptions, the Glacier Bears returned home with a state champion, a runner-up finish and a fifth-place medal.
Coach Andus Hale said the results reflected the program’s emphasis on consistency and development rather than depth.
“We don’t have the kind of numbers those big programs have,” Hale said. “What we do have is good partners, good coaching and kids who are willing to work.”
Haines entered the postseason with a small roster, a challenge Hale said is common for Division II schools competing against larger Division I powerhouses. Limited practice partners and fewer athletes on the mat requires a different approach.
“We have to find another way to be successful,” Hale said. “That comes from trust in the room and knowing your partner is going to push you every day.”
Hale said Stickler’s progression followed a familiar pattern for the program.
Several Haines wrestlers in recent years placed at state earlier in their careers before reaching the top of the podium as seniors.
“We seem to have kids who place fifth or come up short early on,” Hale said. “Then by the time they’re seniors, they climb all the way to the top.”
That trajectory, Hale said, speaks to patience and long-term development — qualities that mirrored Stickler’s personal growth over the course of the season.
Travel challenges added another layer to the team’s postseason run.
After regional championships in Sitka, weather disruptions stranded the team in Juneau, where they practiced daily before eventually flying to Anchorage.
“It was a tiring week,” Hale said. “The kids had one goal in mind, and nothing was going to deter them.”
The effort was matched by community support back home. When the team returned to Haines after a long road trip late on a Sunday night, families and supporters lined up cars at the airport to welcome them, despite subzero temperatures.
“That kind of support means everything,” Hale said. “It shows the kids that what they’re doing matters.”
Hale believes that visibility and support help sustain the program and may encourage future students to give wrestling a try, even in what he describes as a “basketball town.”
“Being a Haines wrestler builds something in you,” Hale said. “They carry that with them the rest of their lives.”
Looking ahead, Stickler plans to compete at folkstyle nationals in Virginia Beach in March alongside teammate Nolan Wald. After graduation, he is considering trade school rather than college wrestling, a decision he said he is comfortable with.
For Hale, the focus remains on continuity – maintaining a culture of accountability, discipline and steady improvement.
With Stickler’s state title setting the standard and younger wrestlers gaining experience on the state stage, Hale said the foundation is in place for future success.
For Stickler, the championship was both an ending and a lesson learned the hard way: patience, once forced by defeat, became the key to finishing his career on top.