Two Incoming Freshmen Qualify for Junior Events at USA National Championships

CLEMSON, S.C. – Incoming freshmen divers Caylin Hirapara and Sarah Blank recently secured their spots in junior events at the 2015 AT&T USA Diving National Championships. Hirapara qualified for the one-meter and three-meter junior events at the Zone B preliminary meet on June 15-20, while Blank qualified in the three-meter junior event at the Zone F preliminaries on June 11-14.

“I am proud of both Caylin and Sarah for qualifying for the junior events at nationals,” said Tiger Head Coach Leslie Hasselbach Adams. “This is their last year of being able to compete in junior-level competitions, and I am happy they are closing out their junior careers at the national level.”

Hirapara placed seventh in the one-meter (383.10 points) and ninth in the three-meter (398.75 points) junior events at the USA Diving National Preliminary Zone B Championships at the Moose Moss Aquatic Center in Moultrie, Ga. By virtue of her top-10 finishes, the native of Boca Raton, Fla. representing Coral Springs Diving, qualified for nationals in both events.

Blank, who hails from Midland, Texas, scored 412.40 points for a fourth-place finish in the three-meter event at the USA Diving National Preliminary Zone F Championship meet held at the Uytengsu Aquatics Center in Los Angeles, Calif. Blank qualified to represent her age group program, the City of Midland in the national meet.

Earlier this month, rising junior Sarah Braun became Clemson diving’s first-ever national qualifier at the senior level, placing third in the one-meter and sixth in the three-meter at the National Preliminary Zone E Championships in Beaverton, Ore. Braun will compete in both events at the 2015 AT&T USA Diving National Championships, to be held Aug. 1-13 at the YMCA Aquatic & Family Center in Orlando, Fla., while Blank and Hirapara will compete in their respective junior events at the same meet.