THERE was home success when Southampton Diving Academy hosted an invitational competition at the Quays.

Southampton romped to victory in the eight-team event, scoring 204 points with second-placed Luton well adrift on 80.

The Academy entered a strong team of its own, including Natalie Hill, pictured, this year's Junior European Highboard Champion.

Also competing were Gary Hunt, the Junior British Highboard Champion, and Ciaran O'Reilly, the Group C Boys British 1m and Highboard Champion.

In addition, Austrian Lucie Hantek began a training visit to Southampton by taking part.

She has arranged to spend three weeks at the Quays to be coached by Lindsey Fraser and her team with the intention of improving her national ranking.

Overall, Southampton took 17 gold, 11 silver and seven bronze medals in the open competition and 10 gold, four silver and seven bronze in the closed competition, which was for divers who had not been placed in the top six for the relevant event at the age group national championships.

Charly Tomkys (17) claimed five golds, though her performance on the 1m board was especially outstanding.

Using a new dive to her repertoire (forward two and a half somersaults, piked) she finished with a score of 240.70, which would have been sufficient to have earned her a place on the junior Olympic programme at a designated meet.

Hunt (18) took three golds, including one for the 3m board where he used his recently-acquired forward three and a half somersaults, piked to good effect.

O'Reilly (13) used a full list of dives from the 7.5m board for the first time in a platform event, coming away with a score of 222.00 against the silver medallist, Luke De Ste Croix (206.80).

In the younger age group Emily Alderman (11) used two new dives on the 3m board.

Both her forward two and a half somersault and forward one and a half somersault with one twist were well executed and helped her to gain an overall score of 139.30 and the gold.

Full Southampton results

Open Competition: 1m: Chris Farrow, bronze; Adam Purkis, silver; Emily Jones, 5th; Emily Alderman, silver; Hayley Griggs, silver; Maxine Harle, silver; Charly Tomkys, gold; Gary Hunt, gold; Robert Appleby, silver; Kim Purkis, silver; Chloe Hendy, 6th; Melissa Harley, 9th; Anna Bennett-Britton, 5th; Natalie Hill, gold; Patrick O'Reilly, bronze; Ciaran O'Reilly, gold; Jack Clewlow, 4th; Stephen Appleby, 6th; Luke De Ste Croix, 5th.

3m: Kim Purkis, bronze; Chloe Hendy, 6th; Anna Bennett-Britton, 4th; Natalie Hill, gold; Melissa Harley, 7th; Patrick O'Reilly, gold; Ciaran O'Reilly, gold; Luke De Ste Croix, bronze; Jack Clewlow, 4th; Stephen Appleby, 6th; Emily Jones, 5th; Emily Alderman, gold; Adam Purkis, gold; Chris Farrow, silver; Charly Tomkys, gold; Gary Hunt, gold; Robert Appleby, silver.

Platform: Charly Tomkys, gold; Maxine Harle, bronze; Robert Appleby, silver; Gary Hunt, gold; Emily Alderman, gold; Chris Farrow, silver; Adam Purkis, gold; Anna Bennett-Britton, 5th; Melissa Harley, 6th; Natalie Hill, bronze; Patrick O'Reilly, gold; Chloe Hendy, 5th; Kim Purkis, bronze; Ciaran O'Reilly, gold; Jack Clewlow, 4th; Luke De Ste Croix, silver; Stephen Appleby, 6th.

Closed Competition:

1m: Emily Jones, 4th; Maxine Harle, silver; Charly Tomkys, gold; Robert Appleby, gold; Kim Purkis, silver; Chloe Hendy, 6th; Melissa Harley, bronze; Patrick O'Reilly, bronze; Jack Clewlow, silver; Stephen Appleby, bronze.

3m: Kim Purkis, bronze; Chloe Hendy, 6th; Anna Bennett-Britton, gold; Melissa Harley, 4th; Luke De Ste Croix, gold; Stephen Appleby, bronze; Emily Jones, 4th; Charly Tomkys, gold; Robert Appleby, gold.

Platform: Maxine Harle, gold; Robert Appleby, gold; Anna Bennett-Britton, gold; Melissa Harley, bronze; Chloe Hendy, 4th; Kim Purkis, silver; Jack Clewlow, gold; Stephen Appleby, bronze.