MOULTRIE — Many who watched this year’s Olympic Team Trials on television were impressed with a slightly built 14-year-old diver from Indianapolis, Ind., who very nearly qualified for the trip to Athens.

Thomas Finchum, all 92 pounds of him, finished second on the men’s platform, just missing a place on the U.S. Olympic diving team.

Brittany Viola of Orlando has a similar story. She, too, finished second on platform and will not be going to Athens.

Instead, both Finchum and Viola will be coming to Moultrie next week for the 2004 Speedo National Junior Diving Championships, which will begin Monday at the Moose Moss Aquatic Center.

They will head a group of 11 U.S. Olympic Team Trials divers who will compete here in the Junior Nationals.

That group also includes Emily Bouck of Orlando, Fla.; David Boudia of Indianapolis, Ind.; Harrison Jones of Spring Texas; J.J. Kinsbach of The Woodlands, Texas; Evan Linette of Wilton Manors, Fla.; Jessica Livingston of The Woodlands, Texas; Landon Marzullo of Columbus, Ohio; Kyle Mitrione of Hoddenfield, N.J.; and Erin Savas of Midlandd, Texas.

Among the other 217 divers who will be in the field are Kristian Ipsen of Clayton Calif., the 2003 National Junior Diving Champion on boys 1- and 3-meter boards. He won the 2004 West Junior Nationals in April on 1-meter and was second on 3-meter.

Ariel Rittenhouse of Santa Cruz, Calif., who finished first at the West Junior National in the 14-15 age group on both springboards, will be in Moultrie.

So will Chelsea Davis of U.S. Elite Diving in Columbus, Ohio, who placed third, first and second on 1-meter, 3-meter and 10-meter respectively at the 2003 National Junior Championships in the 14-15 age group. She won both springboard events at the East Junior Nationals in the 16-18 division.

Also taking part will be eight members of the Moss Farms Diving program: Hannah Moore, Carly Moore, Ryan Helms, Ann Perry Blank, Owen Blank, Nic Price, Maddie Qurnell and Anna Aguero, all of whom qualified at the East Championships in Buffalo, N.Y., last month.

Moss Farms Diving coach Ron Piemonte is impressed by the quality of junior diving this year.

“The Olympic Trials and the Senior Nationals had more junior divers that were qualified and competing than I’ve ever seen,” Piemonte said Thursday.

“Our junior program is alive and well and our kids are getting to a higher level faster than they have in the past 15 years.”

And that will be reflected in the meet in Moultrie, which will run Monday through Saturday of next week.

“This is going to be a super high-quality meet,” Piemonte said.

The championships will be conducted in 1-meter springboard, 3-meter springboard and 10-meter platform in three age groups: 13-and-under, 14-15 and 16-18.

Opening ceremonies, which will include the introduction of a number of former Olympic divers who will be in attendance, will be held beginning at 6 p.m. Sunday.

Prelims will be held Monday, Wednesday and Friday, beginning at 9 a.m.

Finals will begin at 9 a.m. on Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday.

The first-place finisher in each event will be named to the 2004 National Team.

The U.S. Junior World Team also will be selected at the meet.

Viola, 17, is coached by former Moss Farms coach Jay Lerew.

She also is the daughter of Frank Viola, the 1987 World Series Most Valuable Player with the Minnesota Twins, the 1988 American League Cy Young winner and a three-time All-Star.

Brittany was an international elite gymnast and an Olympic hopeful by age 10, but retired at 13. She began diving in 2000 and two years later finished first on the 1-meter board at the East Junior National Diving Championships.

She made the National team in 2002 and 2003 and has competed internationally at the Junior Pan Am Age Group championships, the American Cup, the Diving Grand Prix and the World Championships.

And she will not be the only diver in Moultrie next week with Major League baseball in her background.

Landon Marzullo’s father Arnie pitched for the Chicago White Sox in 1973 and 1974.

Finchum, who won’t be 15 until December, made a strong run at an Olympic berth on platform at the Trials.

Platform is his specialty, and he has finished no lower than third in competitions such as the World Cup Trials, American Cup, Olympic Team Trials and National Diving Championships this year.