About Northern Virginia Swimming League-Diving
Beginning in 1957, NVSL-Dive began sponsoring dive competitions in Northern Virginia. The teams are sponsored by local community pools and are approved by Fairfax and Arlington Counties for recreational diving.
In 2026, NVSL-Dive is composed of 48 teams divided into 8 divisions. The teams compete weekly over the course of a 5-week season, with division champions named at the conclusion of the regular season. Meets are held on Tuesday evenings from late June through late July. In a dual meet, each team is allowed a total of 32 divers.
Following the conclusion of the regular season, each division holds an Individual Division Championship. These meets are used to qualify divers for the NVSL Dive Individual All-Star Championship Meet, which is typically held on the Sunday following the Divisional Meets.
Divers are divided by gender into four age categories: Freshmen (10 & Under – 3 dives), Juniors (11-12 – 4 dives), Intermediates (13-14 – 5 dives), and Seniors (15 & Older – 6 dives). A diver's age group is determined by their age on June 1 of each year. Divers are also permitted to compete through the summer following their graduation from high school.
During the regular season, divers may compete one age group higher than their actual age group. However, divers must compete in their age-eligible category at all championship meets.
NVSL-Dive Championships
Cracker Jack Invitational
NVSL-Dive hosts the annual Cracker Jack Invitational Dive Meet, the world's largest one-day diving competition for developmental divers. The meet was established in 1987 to provide a skill-appropriate championship event for developmental divers.
The first Cracker Jack Invitational was held at Freedom Park and attracted approximately 600 divers. For many years, the meet was hosted by Overlee Pool in Arlington before moving to Cardinal Hill in Vienna for 2007 and 2008. In 2012, the meet was hosted jointly by Mansion House, Springfield, Sideburn Run, Ravensworth, and North Springfield.
At the 2025 meet, hosted by North Springfield, 269 divers competed. Since its inception in 1987, more than 8,000 divers have participated in Cracker Jack competition.
Wally Martin 3-Meter Championship
NVSL-Dive also sponsors an annual 3-Meter Championship Meet. Colonel Wallace R. Martin arranged for the inaugural meet to be held at his home pool, Tuckahoe, in 1968 and continued to host the event each year thereafter. Following Martin's death in 1977, the competition was renamed the Wally Martin 3-Meter Championship in his honor.
In 2025, 82 divers competed across eight events.
1-Meter Synchro Championship
NVSL-Dive introduced the 1-Meter Synchro Meet in 2014. The 2014 and 2015 seasons served as trial years for the event. In 2025, 88 synchronized diving pairs competed across four events.
Divisional Championships
Each division conducts a Divisional Championship Meet that serves as the qualifying event for the NVSL All-Star Championship.
NVSL All-Star Championship
The NVSL All-Star Championship Meet provides the culmination of the NVSL Dive season. NVSL champions are crowned in all eight events: Freshman Girls (FG), Freshman Boys (FB), Junior Girls (JG), Junior Boys (JB), Intermediate Girls (IG), Intermediate Boys (IB), Senior Girls (SG), and Senior Boys (SB).
