TWO girls from the Southend Swimming Club diving team have been swooping to success at the English Schools’ Championships.

Lottie Thompson and Ellie Osbrone earned their places on the division eight team by winning their respective events at the trials in Hornchurch.

From there they were selected to compete in the finals in Herefordshire.

Thompson, 17 is a Palmers College, Grays, student and competed in the senior division while 15-year-old Osborne, from Albany School, was in the intermediate division.

In the senior event 2007 title holder Thompson was up against junior international diver Jenny Cowan of division three - and rose to the challenge in style! Diving even better than she did when winning the recent Irish Open nationals, Thompson gradually applied the pressure and finally stormed ahead to win in style with a comfortable 38 point lead to take her second English Schools senior crown.

Clark said: “Once again Lottie demonstrated her ability to rise to the occasion and is now becoming really difficult to beat. With her new difficult dives I expect Lottie to begin seriously challenging the senior British divers in 2009’ Osborne had an exciting head to head battle with Jess Williams of Townley Grammar for division 11.

Each round was closely fought with Williams gradually moving ahead of Osborne and finally taking the title with the Southend girl a close second. Osborne has shown excellent improvement in 2008 and is challenging everyone in her age group now that she has a better list of dives. Coach Bill Clark said: “Ellie just needs an extra hard dive or two that will make the difference needed at this level of competition.”