Los Al diver breaks school record

Adam Payne takes his final bounce before breaking the school record.

Los Alamitos Junior, Adam Payne broke the school dive record Thursday at the Sunset League Dive Meet held at the Los Alamitos High School Pool.

Payne’s final dive, an inward one-and-one-half somersault pike took him over the 500 point mark.  No other male diver from Los Alamitos has reached that mark.

Payne still has another year to aim at the records set by Newport Harbor Diver, Clay Pinckney.  Pinckney returned to Sunset League Competition this week after winning Gold on 1-meter and 3-meter springboard at USA Diving Region 9 Junior Championships over the weekend.

He took first place at the Sunset League Meet with 575.55 points and is set to continue breaking Sunset League records in his last year of high school competition.

Los Al Senior, Sydney Czaus is familiar with breaking school records.

She continually broke her own records last year after setting them as a Freshman and Sophomore.  Sydney finished the day with 544.90.  She is in line to continue breaking her own Los Al records as the season progresses, but has her eye on the Sunset League record of over 600 points set at a Division 1 meet.

Los Al Sophomore, Leigh Hodgson joined Payne and Czaus in her first Varsity meet.  Learning 11 dives in the few weeks since pre-season practice started is an amazing accomplishment.

Coach Shane Butler is proud of her progress and expects her to improve as the season continues.

In junior varsity diving, sophomore Jazman Glover was Los Alamitos High’s top finisher joined by Sophomores Lauren Gravning, Kat Palaeologus, Jasmine Santana, McKenna Cote and Carmen Chavez.