The Coquitlam Sharks were flying high during last week's diving competition at the B.C. Summer Swimming Association provincial championships.
Coquitlam finished on top of the overall junior and senior categories for both boys and girls in the diving events held at the Coquitlam City Centre Aquatic Complex.
"It was really successful and the kids just did an amazing job. It always amazes me how much dedication they have," said Tara Marrington, the Coquitlam Sharks club director for diving and synchronized swimming.
Alanna Marrington and Sarah Lee of Coquitlam finished one-two in both the one-metre and three-metre events for women 11/12.
"They both have done amazingly well. They're both at the top of their events for their ages," said Marrington.
Nicoletta Sicoli was fifth and Jayna Bettesworth sixth in the one-metre.
Finn Clements of Coquitlam won both the one-metre and three-metre categories for men 11/12, while Austin Karesa swept the same two categories for men 15/16.
The Sharks Tessa Krochak was first in women 13/14 for the three-metre as well as the one-metre.
"On the one-metre board she was competing against other girls who have been competing for years and it was her first year diving and she came in first. She's just done amazing things this year as a first year coming in and I think that speaks to our coaching. Somebody who's brand new to the sport can be so competitive and do so well," said Marrington.
Port Moody's Amanda Wellman placed third in the event.
Jacob Canales of the Port Moody Aquarians won the one-metre competition for men 8 and under, with Coquitlam's Fedor Tarasova finishing second and teammate James Knoke landing third. Tarasova also won the men's eight and under category on the three-metre board.
Coquitlam's Delia Puchalski won the women's 8 and under one-metre, with fellow Shark Tavia Knoke taking fourth. Port Moody's Isabel Hwang placed third, with Marissa Wellman fifth and Trinite Campbell sixth.
The Sharks Kaden Powell won the men's 9/10 category off the one-metre board, with Shay Symmes finishing fourth. Adrian Blake of Coquitlam was third in the three-metre, with Powell fourth and Symmes in sixth spot.
Natalia Misci of Coquitlam took second in the women's 9/10 for both the one- and three-metre, with Sophia Clay of Port Moody finishing third in the one-metre.
Delia Puchalski of Coquitlam won the women's eight and under category on the three-metre board, with teammate Tavia Knoke finishing second and the Aquarians Marissa Wellman taking third.
In the synchronized swimming events, Coquitlam's Jenna Krochuk finished second out of 25 competitors in the figures category for beginners. The Sharks Emily Trepanier took third in the intermediate division. Mikayla Papillo was second in the other category for figures, with Emily Yang landing third Arielle Marrington fourth and Cassie Truss fifth.
Krochak and Mary Rayvais claimed third spot in the beginner division for duets. Truss and Yang of Coquitlam placed second in the other category of duets, with Marrington and Papillo finishing in third.
"The season's quite short for [both diving and synchronized swimming] because they start in May. In May and June they have to juggle practice times with school and everything else and then in July they get to practise a little bit more," said Marrington. "The fact that they do so much and do so well is really quite something with the amount of time that they're given to practise."
