THORNTON - Following a third-place finish a year ago, Mia Williams from St. Mary’s Academy made it her goal to return to the podium.
 
That’s a goal she crushed in the 2025 CHSAA 3A Girls Diving Championship at the Veterans Memorial Aquatic Center. Williams scored 471.75 points to take home her first gold medal, overcoming Discovery Canyon’s Kaitlin McArthur (445.05) and Kent Denver’s Dea Mielenz (444.85) to do so.
 
“I’ve been working really hard for this all season,” Williams said. “Last year I got third, so this year I was really hoping to get top three again, and I’m really happy I was able to achieve that goal this year.”
 
Although Williams knew she had what it took to compete for that top spot, she was hesitant to give herself that credit in the fear of getting her hopes up. 
 
Pool side, however, her coach Lise Kafka never once faltered in her belief that Williams would be standing atop the podium. 
 
“I didn’t want to put pressure on her, but I knew from the start of the season,” Kafka said. “I had a feeling that it would be Mia and Dea fighting for top two today – Dea missed it by .2. But I had a feeling that they were going to be the ones to chase all season. I didn’t want to put pressure on her, but I wanted to figure out what dive list felt good for her so she could shine, because she’s a beautiful diver.”
 
Throughout the competition, as Williams got more comfortable, she only continued to get better. Kafka said she felt like in her first two dives, Williams had some nerves. 
 
Williams even had a dive that Kafka said she didn’t quite hit right but she didn’t let that slow her down. Perseverance is one of the requirements for greatness, and Williams certainly showed that on Tuesday. 
 
“I saw her ease in,” Kafka said. “Her first two dives, she looked a little nervous and ahead of herself. But then about dive three, she finally settled in and started to shine and that was really good to see from her. There was a big dive we threw in and she didn’t quite hit it to the level she wanted, but where I was really proud of her — and this is a sign of how far she’s come this season — was that she came back and ripped the next two dives. And that’s what she needed to do. She didn’t let that stop her, she let that fuel her.”
 
The experience of having to fight through those nerves will serve Williams tremendously as she moves forward in her diving career. 
 
Her poise was undeniable in her quest for gold, and standing on top of that podium gave Williams a taste for a repeat. While winning is an incredibly special experience, doing it alongside your friends only elevates the experience that much more. 

“My favorite part of this season has been being with my teammates,” Williams said. “We’ve all had a lot of fun at practice and meets and we’ve all been cheering each other on. Next season I just hope I can win again and have the same amount of fun that I did this year.”