Athletes Compete at World Juniors

This Week News By Dave Purpura

If Cameron Thatcher had his way, he'd have had more than two practices with his synchronized diving teammate before heading to the FINA World Junior Championships in September in Penza, Russia.

But for not being partners until a month before the event, Thatcher -- a junior at Olentangy Liberty High School -- and Jordan Windle pulled off a top-notch performance.

Thatcher and Windle, who is from Morrisville, N.C., placed fifth in the boys synchronized 3-meter competition in the six-day event that concluded Sept. 14.

"We had two practices at nationals," Thatcher said of the USA Diving National Championships, which took place from Aug. 4-9 in Knoxville, Tenn. "My original partner was Grayson Campbell, and he hurt his leg. Jordan and I both needed synchronized partners, and we found out we worked well together, so we teamed up."

They went on to win the 3-meter synchronized title at nationals, then Thatcher placed third in the boys 16-18 3-meter competition.

But because Thatcher and Windle live about 400 miles apart and already were going to miss two weeks of school for their trip to Russia, they had to rely on video to learn the other's techniques.

"We're familiar with each other. We've been going to events together since we were 10," said Thatcher, who was second in the Division I state meet in February. "Each of us tried (in practice) to do some of what the other does, but it seemed to work better when I followed his technique."

Thatcher was joined in Russia by New Albany sophomores Georgina Milne and Nikki Watters, who also are his teammates with the Ohio State Diving Club.

Watters placed sixth in girls 3-meter springboard and eighth in girls 1-meter springboard. Milne was 22nd in the girls 1-meter springboard preliminary and 25th in the girls 3-meter springboard preliminary.

While Thatcher and Watters competed for Team USA, Milne competed for South Africa, her family's native country.

In the national championships, Watters was second in 3-meter springboard, third in 1-meter springboard and third on platform.

"I'm still kind of young to decide which is my best event, but I think I'm leaning to platform. I feel really comfortable doing that," said Watters, who was third in the state in Division I as a freshman. "It was pretty neat to be there and do what I did. I think I exceeded my expectations. I knew the competition would be tough. It was just my goal to make the finals, and I did."