65th AHSAA State Swimming and Diving Championships Kick off in Huntsville
HUNTSVILLE, AL – The 65th AHSAA State Swimming and Diving Championships opened on Friday at the Huntsville Aquatics Center, with standout performances in the girls’ diving events. Caroline Foster of Briarwood Christian and Elizabeth Elliott of UMS-Wright earned top honors in their respective divisions.
Foster Dominates 1A/5A Girls’ Diving
Briarwood Christian School’s Caroline Foster excelled in the 1A/5A girls’ division, scoring an impressive 290.80 to claim the state title. Foster’s victory came decisively, ahead of Boaz seventh grader Mylee Elliott, who earned second place with 258.75 points. St. John Paul II Catholic seventh grader Kallie Rye followed closely, scoring 252.15 to finish third. Addison Vaughn, an eighth grader from Boaz, placed fourth, achieving a 182.50 total.
Elliott Leads UMS-Wright’s Team Effort in 6A/7A Division
Elizabeth Elliott, a senior from UMS-Wright, secured first place in the 6A/7A girls’ division with a remarkable score of 371.55. With her performance, she also added 20 critical points to UMS-Wright’s team score. Laurel Hunter, a junior from James Clemens, took the runner-up spot with 350.45. Hoover’s Lucy Benoit finished third, scoring 295.05. Grissom High School seniors Peyton Lambert and Lanie Salvail rounded out the top five with scores of 293.80 and 284.80, respectively.
Boys’ Diving and Swimming Events Continue Saturday
The boys’ divisional finals in diving are set for Saturday at 1 p.m. Meanwhile, preliminary swimming events were held Friday evening, with additional prelims scheduled for Saturday morning at 9:30 a.m. Finals for swimming will conclude the championship weekend with a 6 p.m. start on Saturday.
Defending State Champions Featured in Huntsville
Last year’s 1A/5A girls’ state champions, Whitesburg Christian, have moved up to compete in the 6A/7A division this season. The defending champions for the boys are Huntsville in the 6A/7A division and Boaz in 1A/5A.
Stay tuned for updates on results and performances as the championships continue through the weekend.
FEATURED IMAGE: Laurel Hunter of James Clemens takes second in 6A/7A Diving (AHSAA PHOTO | David Holtsford)
