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White Rock Divers qualify for national championships

Provincial meet held Feb. 2-4 at South Surrey’s Grandview Aquatic Centre
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White Rock Divers’ Jesse Nowotny (left) and Mattias Frohloff (right) were two of a handful of competitors to qualify for nationals after strong performances at a provincial meet at Grandview Heights Aquatic Centre earlier this month. (Anna Davydova/ADproduction.ca photo)

A handful of White Rock Divers are headed to national championships this summer, after twisting and soaring their way to podium finishes earlier this month at a winter provincial dive meet held in South Surrey.

More than a dozen divers from the Semiahmoo Peninsula-based club took part in the meet, which was held Feb. 2-4 at the Grandview Heights Aquatic Centre. The club’s youngest competitors got the three-day event started on the right foot, with a pair of nine year olds Mattias Frohloff and Amelia Semple – called “junior dynamos” by the club in an official news release sent to Peace Arch News last week – both earning enough qualification points on the five-metre board to punch their tickets to junior nationals.

The pair also placed no worse than second in their respective springboard events later in the weekend.

From there, a handful of older White Rock Divers, Jessie Nowotny and Helen Synnott – competing in the 16-18 year-old Group A division – both finished on the podium, as well. In turn, they were followed by teammates Madeline Green and Paige Bush, who reached the podium in the 12-13 year-old Group C competition, while also earning enough points to qualify for nationals.

Junior nationals are scheduled for July in Toronto, while senior nationals are set for Winnipeg in June.

In the boys 12-13 year-old Group C competition, Curtis Frohloff finished first in both the one- and three-metre diving board events, while teammates Carter Baker and Cameron Gibbons were fourth and sixth, respectively.

In the boys Group B division of the same age group, Jayden Poole finished on the podium in each of his events to round out the top finishes by the host club.

The White Rock Divers – who are now under the guidance of new head coach Jose Palma, along with assistant coaches Kim Lotnick and Greg Cox – had a handful of other competitors, ranging in age from seven to 12, take part in the provincial meet in a variety of divisions: Imaan Bhatia, Isabella Hood, Maori Farrell-Pomeroy, Miami James, Leighton Hood and Daniela Iasinka.

The strong provincial showing continues what has been a strong start to the competitive diving season for the White Rock Divers, who had a handful of athletes finish on the podium at the Candy Cane Invitational, held in Langley in December. That event – which was the kickoff to the season – saw 35 White Rock/South Surrey competitors take part.

Next up for the team is the Sting – a meet in Victoria that runs from March 16-18.