Hayden Lieb

Hayden Lieb, a 2020 graduate of Bethel Regional High School, stands among Alaska’s most accomplished high school wrestlers. A four-time ASAA State Champion and multiple-time National All-American, Lieb combined elite competitive success with character, leadership, and service to his community.

In wrestling, Lieb became Bethel’s second four-time state champion, capturing ASAA titles at 132 pounds, 145 pounds, and twice at 160 pounds. A four-year varsity letter winner, he was voted Outstanding Wrestler at the ASAA State Tournament twice, in 2016 and 2019. His dominance extended beyond Alaska. Lieb earned All-American honors at the National High School Coaches Association (NHSCA) Championships three times—placing fifth as a freshman, fifth as a sophomore, and sixth as a junior—and was also a Reno Tournament of Champions All-American. In 2020, he was named a Wrestling USA Senior All-American and received the prestigious Dave Schultz High School Excellence Award for Alaska, along with the Alaska Sports Hall of Fame Pride of Alaska Award.

Lieb continued his wrestling career at the University of Wyoming on scholarship, competing from 2020–2023 and compiling an impressive 24–7 collegiate record.

His longtime coach reflected, “Hayden always has been and still is an extremely respectful, hardworking, and dedicated young man.” He added that Lieb’s “hard work and dedication to bettering himself led him to becoming Bethel’s second four-time state wrestling champion,” and later achieving national “All-American” status.

Beyond the mat, Lieb was also a varsity basketball player and a state-qualifying cross country runner. A member of the National Honor Society and an NHSCA Academic All-American, he exemplified the true meaning of student-athlete.

Leadership and service have remained central to Lieb’s journey. After high school, he has returned to Alaska to coach the Alaska National Team and support young wrestlers in Bethel. Each spring, he provides youth athletes with development opportunities through a wrestling clinic at Bethel Regional High School. As one mentor wrote, Lieb “has consistently demonstrated the character, leadership, and service we hope every young man will aspire to embody,” and by returning home to mentor youth, he has shown “a genuine commitment to community and responsibility beyond personal success.”

Currently pursuing his pilot’s license while coaching wrestling in South Dakota, Lieb continues to lead by example both in athletics and in life.

Hayden Lieb’s legacy is defined not only by championships and national recognition, but by his humility, work ethic, and commitment to giving back. He is a fitting and deserving addition to the Alaska High School Hall of Fame.