MATANZAS, Cuba – Team USA won four medals on day one of the UANA Junior Pan American Diving Championships, highlighted by a gold from Alison Gibson (Austin, Texas/College Station, Texas) on 1-meter in the 16-18 age group. Brooke Schultz (Gainesville, Fla.) won bronze on that same event, and Grayson Campbell (Vienna, Va.) and Jordan Windle (Morrisville, N.C.) took silver and bronze on 3-meter in the 16-18 boys’ age group.
Gibson scored 391.25 points on 1-meter to win her third career Junior Pan Am medal and first gold, after winning silver and bronze on 3-meter in 2011 and 2013 respectively. She will compete 3-meter on Friday.
“I had a lot of fun. I was always smiling. That relieves my stress and gives me confidence. I did well. These girls are all really good, and it’s an honor to compete against them and to represent my country,” Gibson said.
Canada’s Elaena Dick scored 379.50 points for silver, just ahead of Schultz who finished with 378.75 points for the bronze. Schultz was the 2014 junior world champion on 1-meter in the 14-15 age group.
In the 16-18 boys’ 3-meter contest, Campbell scored 537.95 to take the silver behind Mexico’s Juan Celaya, who won gold at 541.05. Windle picked up the bronze with 528.00 points.
“We had good preparation the last two days getting adjusted to the boards and getting used to diving outdoors. We got here early this morning and were fresh and ready to go. The nerves were still there, but Jordan and I both have a lot of international experience, so the nerves weren’t as high as in the past. The crowd was great and really pumped us up,” Campbell said.
Campbell’s silver was his fifth career Junior Pan Am medal, having previously won one silver and three bronze on various events in his first two Junior Pan Am meets in 2011 and 2013. Windle won gold on platform in 2013.
Elena Yeh (South Pasadena, Calif.) took fourth with 220.05 points in the 11-and-under girls’ 3-meter contest. 220.05. Mexico’s Maria Sanchez scored 244.45 points for the gold.
In the 14-15 girls’ platform event, Emily Grund (Keller, Texas) was fourth at 298.10 and Carolina Sculti (Rye, N.Y.) scored 297.10 for fifth. Mexico’s Gabriela Agundez scored 356.80 for the gold.
Max Weinrich (Brookeville, Md.) was fifth with 316.45 points in the boys’ 12-13 platform event, with Jordan Rzepka(Solon, Ohio) placing 10th at 291.95. Mexico’s Randall Willard won gold with 352.45 points.
In boys’ 14-15 1-meter competition, Noah Duperre (New Albany, Ohio) scored 348.65 points for eighth place. Colombia’s Daniel Restrepo won gold at 452.60.
The Junior Pan American Championships, which feature divers from 10 countries, continue through Sunday, October 11. Gibson, Campbell and Windle all compete again on Friday, with Gibson on 3-meter and Campbell and Windle on 1-meter.Friday’s events also include the 14-15 girls on 1-meter, the 14-15 boys on platform, the 11-and-under boys on 3-meter, and the 12-13 girls on platform.
Swimming news courtesy of USA Diving.
