National Age Group/National Skills Diving Competitions

Leeds International Pool

14th & 16th July 2006

The Cambridge Dive Team returned from the National Age Group and National Skills Diving Competition in Leeds last weekend with a hoard of medals: 2 gold, 2 silver and 3 bronze.

In the National Age Group competition Aaron Paul won double gold on the 1m & 3m springboard events. Aaron won the 1m event with 218.70 points and scored impressive 6's for his back two & a half somersaults. He won the 3m event with 243.60 points in the boys 14-15 year old age group; Edward Hird was placed 7th and 6th in the same events. Lucy Cliff won silver in 1m springboard event scoring almost perfect 7's for two of her dives to finish with 139 points. Lucy took to the sky to take bronze in the highboard event with 106 points and was placed 7th in the 3m girls 10-11 year old age group. Nathaniel Doza made consistently high scores to win silver in the 3m event with 195.40 points. He took bronze in the highboard event with 142.20 points and was placed 6th with 143.95 points in the 1m event. Harry Kitson put in an excellent performance sitting in second place right up to his final dive where an unfortunate take off left him in difficulty and he placed 7th just behind his team mate with 140.45 in the boys 12-13 years old age group. Vivien Cliff was placed 5th in the 3m event with 161.50 points for the girls 14 to 15 years old age group and Adele Cliff was placed 7th in the 3m event with 116.70 points in the girls 16-18 years old age group. Daniel Goodfellow  put in an outstanding first time performance and was placed 7th in the 1m event with 103.60 points and 8th in the 3m event with 98.75 points. Team mate Josh Sambrook also competing at his first National Age Groups, was placed 9th in the 1m, 3m and highboard event. One of the youngest members of the Cambridge dive team put in an exceptional set of dives: Anna Sambrook just missed out on a medal and was placed 4th in the 1m event with 68.50 for the girls 8-9 years old.

In the National Skills Competition Chloe Cook won a bronze medal in the girls 10 to 11 years old age group with 139.40 points. Hannah Clayden returned to form to place 6th in the girls 12-13 years old age group with 131.20 points. Newcomer Sebastian Jaunzens was placed 7th in the boys 10-11 years old age group with 109.95 points. Emma Watson put in a beautiful set of dives and was unlucky not to place higher but finished in 7th with 111.90 points in the girls 8-9 years old age group.

Overall this was a fantastic set of results for the Cambridge Dive Team and their largest haul of medals ever from the National Age Group Championships. Head coach James Etherington was thrilled with the performance of all of the Cambridge Dive Team. Cambridge has recently employed two new full time Assistant Diving Development Officers and this is a great time for them to join the team.

Full results can be found here (National Skills) and here (National Age Group), both on the ASA website.

Posted 27/07/2006