WA Talent Shines at State Diving Championships

Published On: 28 March 2017

Local talents Nikita Hains, Tamara Irvine and Jorja McCall have won titles at the weekend WA State Championships held at HBF Stadium.

The state titles were the first opportunity to build competition focus ahead of May’s Australian Championships which will serve as the selection trials for the 2017 FINA World Championships in Budapest.

The women’s 10m platform showcased three young Western Australian divers all boasting junior representative experience for Australia.

Nikita Hains earned state honours in the final, returning a total score of 278.15 to finish ahead of WAIS training partners Tamara Irvine (263.90) and Teju Wialliamson (255.45).

Hains in 2016 was nominated for the WAIS Junior Athlete of the Year in a campaign that saw her finish seventh at the Junior World Championships in Russia.

17 year-old Irvine earned a state title of her own in the 1m springboard final – registering a high quality set of dives for 252.90 points. Irvine finished clear of Jorja McCall in second on 209.85.

McCall – who first came on WAIS scholarship in January of this year – showed signs of her development under head coach Matt Helm, winning the 3m springboard final with a score of 202.75 despite being just 13 years of age.

The 2017 Australian Open Championships will be held at Sydney’s Olympic Park Aquatic Centre from 24-26 May.