Hampton’s Gabriella Elk captures PIAA girls diving gold medal

By: Michael Love
Wednesday, March 12, 2025 | 4:30 PM

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LEWISBURG — Gabriella Elk had a great deal of motivation in her return to the PIAA Class 2A diving championships Wednesday at Bucknell’s Kinney Natatorium.

The Hampton junior placed second last year to Dallas graduate Brianne Dempsey. That view from the second step of the medals podium was nice, but at the very top was where she wanted to be.

And at the top is where she stood Wednesday after 11 dives. She secured PIAA gold with 433.00 points, 21.85 more than runner-up Justine Frantz, a junior from District 1’s Upper Moreland.

“I definitely worked on my consistency to make sure every rep counted, and I executed what I knew I could do,” said Elk, who came in as the No. 2 seed after capturing the WPIAL title Feb. 21 at North Allegheny.

“I really wanted to be on the top of the podium. My goal this season was to work my hardest and do my best. I had a few mental blocks last summer, but I was able to work through them. It helped me focus for the season and put together the dives I knew would help me at WPIALs and states.”

Elk, who earned a state medal in eighth as a freshman, led after the preliminaries (199.25 points) and semifinals (310.30) and brought it home with the three dives in the finals. She led Frantz by 19 points after the last of the three semifinal dives and expanded her lead with 122.60 points in the finals.

“I was a little bit nervous going into the finals, but I was just trying to take deep breaths and trust myself and my abilities. I was able to really pull through on my last dive and create a little bit of space. That was exciting.”

Elk now hopes to get back to Bucknell next year and repeat as champion.

“This is a great feeling. It was one of my big goals for high school,” she said.

Seven of the eight entries from the WPIAL made the top 16 for the finals.

In her final high school meet, Quaker Valley senior Ruby Olliffe bumped up one spot from fourth last year to earn bronze with 392.70 points. It was her third overall medal at states. She took seventh in 2023.

Derry senior Chaeli Keenan made the biggest move of them all, going from 21st as a junior last year to sixth this year (365.35).

The 16 divers who made the finals earned team points. Derry’s Genavieve Hoyle just missed a medal as she finished ninth (342.15).

Derry teammate Ella Sylvis took 10th (338.65), Winchester Thurston’s Leila Monahan placed 14th (310.00) and Central Valley’s Hannah Stolec finished 16th (288.65).

“All of the girls from the WPIAL are super competitive, and it was an amazing feeling to dive with them one more time this season,” Elk said. “It wasn’t surprising at all to see that many of us in the finals.”

The Class 2A boys diving championship is at 12:40 p.m. Thursday. WPIAL champion Jake Hauser, a senior from Derry, is seeded sixth overall.

He took fifth at states last year.

Michael Love is a TribLive reporter covering sports in the Alle-Kiski Valley and the eastern suburbs of Pittsburgh. A Clearfield native and a graduate of Westminster (Pa.), he joined the Trib in 2002 after spending five years at the Clearfield Progress. He can be reached at mlove@triblive.com.

Tags: Central Valley, Derry Area, Hampton, Quaker Valley, Winchester Thurston