Carrboro’s Claire McDaniels follows family history to 1A/2A diving title

Carrboro freshman Claire McDaniels won the N.C. High School Athletic Association 1A/2A diving title, which was held Wednesday at the Pullen Aquatic Center.

McDaniels did it in style, too.

McDaniels won with 475.45 points, the most of any 1A/2A diver ever.

The overall state record is 511.60 set in 2015 by Nikke Canale of Marvin Ridge.

McDaniels even topped N.C. Science and Math senior Lindsey Ruderman, the defending state champion, who was third (397.40).

“Swimming and diving runs in the family,” said Carrboro coach Julie Neal. “Claire is very talented, but she also works hard and is very passionate about the sport. Who knows how much better she’ll end up? We’re fortunate to have her.”

Claire’s father Chris was a four-time All-American college swimmer at Alabama from 1987-1990. Her mother Meg was a diver for the Crimson Tide.

Her older sister Emily, a 2014 Carrboro grad, is a swimmer at Vassar College.

Claire started out swimming like Emily, but she gravitated to diving when she saw divers working out at a swim practice.

It helped that her mother had a diving background and that she had experimented briefly with gymnastics.

“I thought diving looked like a lot more fun,” McDaniels said. “I like the thrill of throwing myself off a board more than the blocks.”

This story was originally published February 9, 2017 at 11:46 PM with the headline "Carrboro’s Claire McDaniels follows family history to 1A/2A diving title."