The club team Sunrise Springboard Diving held its first AAU meet for the season at the St. Andrew’s School in Boca Raton. The divers train at the Rockledge High School pool every day of the week except Sundays for two hours each day.

“Diving is a sport where people look out for each other,” Maya C. (8) said. “The friends you make in diving will be with you for a long time, even if you compete against them. It’s just a really nice atmosphere.” 

Maya has been diving for one year following in the footsteps of her brother, who was also a diver training with Bill Talbot. She placed fifth in the one-meter 12-13 junior Olympics for girls. The team only trains on a one-meter board at the high school and was willing to take a chance on three-meter during the St. Andrew’s meet down in Boca Raton.

“I was nervous at first about competing on three-meter because I never get to practice on it but I ended up doing pretty well on it,” Canon F (7) said.

Canon has been diving for almost a year and is an ex-gymnast. He had  been on the three-meter board only once before at his first AAU dive meet. Now training with Bill, he competes as a high-school diver and as a club diver. He placed first in both the one-meter 12-13 junior Olympics for boys. Canon also got first in the three-meter 12-13 junior Olympic boys.

Canon offered advice for new three-meter divers.

“Don’t be distracted by the height and just focus on the dive instead,” he said.

By Lillian Altmann

Editor’s note: Brevard Public Schools policy prohibits the inclusion of middle-schoolers’ last names on district-sponsored websites.