Hedberg wins again, three others also capture gold at Junior Nationals
by USA Diving
Josh Hedberg (Indiana International School of Diving) won for the second day in a row, and Isabel Baley (COM Aquatics), Bayleigh Cranford (Triad Diving Academy) and Max Fowler (Alexandria Dive Club) also won junior national titles Monday at the 2022 USA Diving Junior National Championships at COM Aquatics in Midland, Texas.
Their titles also earned them spots on the 2022 FINA World Junior Championships team. Four other divers also earned spots on the junior world team on Monday.
Baley won her second career junior national title, this time at her home pool. She scored 374.75 points to pick up the gold in the 14-15 girls’ 1-meter contest to qualify for junior worlds. She had also won a 1-meter title in 2019 as an 11-and-under diver.
“It was amazing to be at my home pool. I didn’t have to travel and I could sleep in my own bed, so that was really nice. I was really proud of myself. I think finals went a lot better than my semifinal. (Qualifying for junior worlds) was like a dream for me. It still doesn’t feel real to me. I’m so grateful I had this opportunity,” Baley said.
Anna Lemkin (Stanford Diving), who won gold on 3-meter on Sunday, scored 369.75 points for the 1-meter silver and another spot on the junior the world team. Molly Gray, also of Stanford Diving, scored 368.50 to win the bronze medal.
Cranford won her first junior national title with 448.20 points to finish first in the 16-18 girls’ platform final after placing third in the semifinals earlier in the day. Avery Worobel (Woodlands Diving Academy) also qualified for junior worlds with her second-place score of 442.15. Katerina Hoffman (Knight Diving Academy) scored 416.25 points for bronze.
“I wanted to go and have fun, and I did that. It feels really good. I wanted to do better than I did at last year’s nationals, and I did,” said Cranford, who finished 20th on platform at the 2021 Junior Nationals.
A day after winning on platform, Hedberg won the boys’ 14-15 3-meter contest to pick up his seventh career junior national title. Hedberg scored 507.95 points to claim the gold. Mason Mankey, also of the Indiana International School of Diving, scored 431.30 points for silver and a spot on junior world team. Ivor Brown (Dominion Dive Club) was third at 420.20.
Fowler scored 644.90 points to win the boys’ 16-18 3-meter title a day after taking bronze on 1-meter. Max Weinrich (Dominion Dive Club), the 1-meter gold medalist, scored 621.35 for the 3-meter silver. Nick Harris (TNT Diving) finished third with 595.95 points and also qualified for junior worlds because Weinrich will turn 19 before the end of the year.
The 2022 Junior National Championships wrap up Tuesday with the 14-15 girls on platform, the 14-15 boys on 1-meter, the 16-18 boys on platform and the 16-18 girls on 3-meter.