Hedberg, Lemkin, Weinrich win again at Junior Nationals
by USA Diving
The 2022 USA Diving Junior National Championships wrapped up as the last four junior national titles were awarded Tuesday at COM Aquatics in Midland, Texas.
Josh Hedberg (Indiana International School of Diving) swept the boys’ 14-15 age group with another win on Tuesday, while Anna Lemkin (Stanford Diving) and Max Weinrich (Dominion Dive Club) picked up their second wins this week. Avery Worobel (Woodlands Diving Academy) also won a junior national title on the final day of competition. The Woodlands Diving Academy won the overall team title.
The final spots on the 2022 Junior World Championships team were also determined Tuesday.
Lemkin scored 364.05 points to win the girls’ 14-15 platform title after already winning the 3-meter title earlier in the week. She was second on 1-meter to qualify for junior worlds on all three events.
“I tried my best to come into this competition without many expectations. I just wanted to live in the present moment, compete one dive at a time and focus on the dive at hand and do each dive to the best of my ability. I’m really proud of where that got me,” Lemkin said.
Molly Gray, also of Stanford Diving, scored 310.45 points to win the silver medal and earn another Junior World Championships spot. Juliet Radich (Coral Springs Diving) picked up the bronze with 304.45 points.
Hedberg wrapped up his week with 413.05 points in the 14-15 boys’ 1-meter final to win his eighth career junior national title and third of the week after winning platform and 3-meter earlier in the championships. It was the second time he has swept his age group, having also won all three titles as an 11-and-under diver in 2018.
Ivor Brown (Dominion Dive Club) qualified a spot on the Junior World Championships team with his second-place finish of 409.15 points. Nathaniel Grannis (Dominion Dive Club) won bronze with 377.85 points.
Weinrich won his second of title of the week with 569.80 points for a victory in the 16-18 boys’ platform competition. Weinrich, who will begin his freshman year at Indiana University this fall, also won on 1-meter earlier this week. Because he turns 19 before the end of the year, he is ineligible for junior worlds. Tyler Wills (RipFest) scored 526.05 points for silver, and Luca Fassi (Rose Bowl Aquatics) scored 511.45 points for bronze to qualify their spots on the junior world team.
Worobel took the gold in girls’ 16-18 3-meter with 505.35 points to win her 10th career junior national title. Lily Witte of Wolverine Diving, who won the 1-meter title earlier this week, secured another spot on the junior world team with her silver medal performance of 479.35 points on 3-meter. Ellie Joyce (Dominion Dive Club) scored 477.45 points for the 3-meter bronze.
With the 2022 Junior National Championships now completed, the focus shifts to the U.S. Open Championships, also in Midland from August 4-7.