U.S. Junior Olympic Diving Championships : McNiel Steps Up to Platform, Takes 3rd Gold

When Jace McNiel finally took the plunge off the platform Friday, all the waiting, all the time he spent staring and psyching himself and concentrating were anything but wasted.

Once the high and low scores were thrown out by the five judges who had watched him dive seven meters and execute a difficult 2 1/2 somersault with a tuck on his final effort, McNiel was awarded 54 points. That boosted his five-dive total to 193.20 points, good for a gold medal.

Adam Terrell scored 172.80 points to finish second for the third straight day at the Junior Olympic Diving Championships at Irvine’s Heritage Park.

McNiel, a 13-year-old from Dallas, had won the boys’ 13-and-under one-meter competition Wednesday and the three-meter competition Thursday.

“This is the first time I’ve ever won any event at nationals,” said McNiel, who last year finished third in the one-meter and sixth in the three-meter. A broken wrist that caused him to miss six weeks of training prevented him from competing in the platform.

“I knew it was basically going to be between me and Adam,” McNiel said. “Last year we were pretty close and this year he was second, second, second. He really pushed me.”

Chris Vonk of the Mission Viejo Nadadores scored 167.20 points to finish third in the boys’ 13-and-under platform. Sherry Wigginton’s 192.60 points won the girls’ 13-and-under platform event.

Other winners Friday included Houston’s Kelly Jenkins, who cruised to a win in the girls’ 16-18 three-meter with 445.75 points, and Dean Panaro, who won the boys’ 16-18 one-meter with 499.60 points.

Divers sweeping a meet don’t exactly set off sirens, especially at the Junior Olympics. Last year, three of the six age-group categories were swept.

McNiel’s efforts, though, weren’t all spectacular Friday. On his third dive--an inward, 1 1/2-somersault that has a difficulty of only 2.2--he received scores of only 4.5.

“I was kind of nervous but also kind of afraid about hitting my feet on the platform during the dive,” McNiel said.

Earlier Friday, North Carolina’s Eileen Duley, who competed in the 13-and-under platform event, struck her chin on the platform while attempting a 2 1/2-somersault dive.

“I think it (the accident) was made out to be a little more serious than it really was,” said Coach John Candler, who took his swimmer to a local hospital for X-rays, which proved negative.

McNiel said this earlier accident was on his mind on his third dive. However, he came back with a high-scoring fourth dive and followed that with his best performance of the day.

“I’m kind of pessimistic about things and like to hold back,” said Michele Pappas, McNiel’s coach of two years, “but I knew he was certainly capable of that.”

The championships, which run through Sunday, continue at 9 today with competition in the boys’ and girls’ 14-15 platform, boys’ 16-18 three-meter and girls’ 16-18 one-meter.