Three Gold Medals Awarded on Opening Day of 2023 Junior National Championships

Two divers from the Montgomery Dive Club were among the three winners on the opening day of the competition at the 2023 USA Diving TYR Junior National Championships, which kicked off Sunday in Mission Viejo, California.

Cristiano Garcia won the boys’ 12-13 1-meter junior national title, while his club teammate Amir Owens took the 11-and-under boys’ platform gold. ElliReese Niday of Moss Farms Diving rounded out the day one winners with gold in the 11-and-under girls’ 3-meter contest.

Montgomery Dive Club took the top two spots in the 11-and-under boys’ platform event. Owens scored 148.95 points for gold, while Noah Lieberman finished with 135.00 points for the silver medal. Thomas Lapidario of Pacific Diving Academy scored 134.85 points for third.

Niday, who swept the girls’ 11-and-under age group at last year’s junior nationals, repeated as junior national champion on 3-meter with 319.30 points for gold. Katherine Mo of McCormick Divers scored 255.40 points for silver, and Niday’s Moss Farms teammate Amelia Gregory was third at 245.75.

Garcia won the 12-13 boys’ 1-meter contest with 352.30 points, with silver going to Drew Voloshin of the New York Dive Club at 286.80. Nathan Piotrowski of the Orlando Diving Academy finished with 279.10 points for third. Garcia also won a junior national title on 1-meter in 2021.

The USA Diving TYR Junior National Championships continue through August 1. Monday’s competition features the 11-and-under boys on 3-meter, the 11-and-under girls on platform and the 12-13 girls on 1-meter. In all, 28 junior national champions will be crowned throughout the competition.