Eighth-grader Hampton Pigford won a national championship at the USA Diving National Championships in West Virginia, taking first place in Platform in the Boys C age group. Hampton also placed second in the 5-meter event and sixth on 1-meter, finishing among the top divers in the country in his age group.

Hampton’s national championship comes less than two years after he began diving. At last year’s National Championships, his first, he did not advance beyond the semifinals. He returned to training with a goal of improving and qualified for this year’s competition through Regionals in Moultrie, Georgia, and Zones in Dallas, Texas.

His hard work paid off with a national title and two additional top-six finishes at this year’s championships.