ElliReese Niday, 13, became one of the youngest divers in history to earn a senior U.S. title, winning the women’s platform event at the national championships in Auburn, Alabama.
Niday totaled 721.40 points over 10 combined dives from Tuesday’s semifinal and Thursday’s final, prevailing by 10 points over Bayleigh Cranford.
“It’s really crazy,” Niday said, according to USA Diving. “Maybe one day when I grow up, I’ll make the Olympic team possibly.”
In most cases, the top two divers per individual event at nationals and winning synchronized teams qualify for this summer’s World Championships. But Niday is too young for the World Championships because she doesn’t turn 14 before the end of 2025.
Niday, from Moultrie, Georgia, is the daughter of Lauryn McCalley, who won national titles on the springboard in 2000 and 2001.
USA Diving doesn’t have a complete list of all-time national champions by age, but did find another 13-year-old who captured a senior individual title — Marjorie Gestring in 1936, the same year she won Olympic springboard gold.
Gestring remains the youngest person on record to win a Summer Olympic gold medal, according to the OlyMADMen group of Olympic historians.
In December 2016, Hailey Hernandez won the 3m springboard at USA Diving’s Winter Nationals at age 13.
Also in 2016, Tarrin Gilliland won a national title in synchronized diving at age 13.
Neither Delaney Schnell nor Daryn Wright, the U.S. Olympians in Paris in women’s platform, competed in the event at nationals this week.
Also at nationals, Max Flory won the men’s 3m springboard with 922 points, prevailing by 27.3 points over Collier Dyer.
Carson Tyler, whose fourth-place finish at the Olympics was the best by an individual U.S. diver, placed fourth at nationals after hitting his feet on the board on his fifth of six final dives, a commentator said.
Earlier this week, Tyler won the synchronized platform event with Josh Hedberg.
The World Championships are in Singapore in July and August.
USA Diving 2025 National Championships Results
Men’s Platform: 1. Josh Hedberg, 2. Jordan Rzepka
*Men’s 1m Springboard: 1. Lyle Yost. 2. Nicholas Harris
Men’s 3m Springboard: 1. Max Flory, 2. Collier Dyer
Men’s Synchro Platform: 1. Carson Tyler/Josh Hedberg
Men’s Synchro Springboard: 1. Jack Ryan/Grayson Campbell
Women’s Platform: 1. ElliReese Niday**, 2. Bayleigh Cranford, 3. Ella Roselli
*Women’s 1m Springboard: 1. Anna Kwong 2. Hailey Hernandez
Women’s 3m Springboard: 1. Sophie Verzyl, 2. Lily Witte
Women’s Synchro Platform: 1. Daryn Wright/Bayleigh Cranford
Women’s Synchro Springboard: 1. Anna Kwong/Sophie Verzyl
*Mixed Synchro Platform: 1. Bayleigh Cranford/Tyler Wills
*Mixed Synchro Springboard: 1. Luke Hernandez/Kyndal Knight
*Not an Olympic event, but is held at World Championships
**Too young for World Championships
