Liberty's Thatcher, New Albany's Watters set to represent Team USA at FINA World
USA Diving, 8/26/2014
Ohio State Diving Club teammates Cameron Thatcher, a junior at Liberty High School, and Nikki Watters, a sophomore at New Albany High School, are among the 19 divers selected to represent the United States at the upcoming FINA World Junior Diving Championships in Penza, Russia.
Competition will be held September 9-14. Approximately 200 divers from 30 nations typically participate in the World Junior Diving Championships, which are held every other year and feature divers in the 14-15 and 16-18 age groups.
Thatcher and Watters earned their spots on the team based on their results at the USA Diving Junior National Championships, held August 4-9 in Knoxville, Tenn.
Thatcher was selected to compete in 14-18 synchronized 3-meter with Jordan Windle (Morrisville, N.C.) after the pair won the gold medal in that event at junior nationals.
Watters will compete in two events, having been selected to dive in both the 1-meter and 3-meter springboard events in the 14-15 age group after placing second on 3-meter and third on 1-meter at junior nationals.
This will be the first World Junior Diving Championships for both divers. Watters previously represented the United States at the 2011 and 2013 Junior Pan American Diving Championships. She won bronze on 1-meter at both meets and also took gold on 3-meter and bronze on platform in 2011.
Thatcher and Watters train under coach John Appleman at the Ohio State Diving Club. Appleman was selected to be one of four Team USA coaches for the World Junior Diving Championships.
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The team will leave for Russia next Wednesday. If you have any questions or if I can be of any assistance before, during or after the championships, please let me know.
