Moose Moss Invitational opens Saturday

Published 9:39 pm Thursday, May 25, 2006

MOULTRIE — The annual Moose Moss Invitational will play host to between 75-80 young divers this weekend.

But Diving Tigers coach Ron Piemonte said it was nearly a bigger and more competitive event.

Three teams from New Jersey that had committed to compete in the event changed their minds in the 11th hour.

A team from North Carolina, scheduled to come, backed out after six of its divers were unable to attend.

And the Atlanta Diving Association team, which has grown considerably in recent years, has been out of its pool for three weeks and decided not to try to compete.

“No, it’s not as big as I had hoped,” Piemonte said. “But it’s still going to be a good, quality meet.”

Competition will be held on the 1-meter and 3-meter springboards and on the tower.

Events will begin at 9 a.m. on Saturday, Sunday and Monday.

Meet secretary Becky Moore said 60 divers had registered as of Thursday morning, but several from Moss Farms who expect to compete had not yet registered.

Teams that will send divers are Fort Lauderdale Diving; Georgia Diving Club,; Huntsville (Ala.) Springboard Diving; Islamorada (Fla.) Diving; Montgomery (Md.) Diving; Port City Diving; Patriot Dive Club from Fairfax, Va.; Starz Diving Club from Indianapolis, Ind.; and Tennessee Diving.

Expected to compete for Moss Farms Diving are:

• Victoria Barber, 10-11 girls 1-meter novice.

• Savannah Dean, 10-11 girls 1-meter novice.

• Elizabeth Ann Kirkland, 11-and-under girls 3-meter and 12-13 girls 1-meter.

• Ana Jiminez, 12-13 12-13 girls 1-meter.

• Ann Perry Blank, 14-15 girls 1-meter, 3-meter and platform.

• Jillian Braun, 14-15 girls 1-meter, 3-meter and platform.

• Kelsey Goodman, 14-15 girls, 1-meter, 3-meter, platform.

• Ali Lepech, 14-15 girls, 1-meter, 3-meter, platform.

• Erin Goodman, 16-18 girls, 1-meter, 3-meter.

• Anna Aguero, 16-18 girls, 1-meter, 3-meter, platform.

• Staci Howard, 16-18 girls, 1-meter, 3-meter.

• Hannah Moore, 16-18 girls, 1-meter, 3-meter, platform.

• Tristan Wells, 10-11 boys novice, 1-meter, 3-meter.

• Ronnie Piemonte, 11-and-under boys 1-meter.

• Matthew Littleton, 10-11 boys novice 1-meter, 3 –meter.

• Ryan Helms, 16-18 boys, 3-meter, platform; senior men 1-meter.

• Owen Blank, 16-18 boys, 1-meter, 3-meter, platform.

• Jacob Russell, 16-18 boys, 1-meter, 3-meter.

One Moss Farms diver who will not compete is Leah Piemonte, who will be on a Georgia Studies tour this weekend.

But there are still plenty of Diving Tigers taking part.

“We’re going to swarm ‘em,” Ron Piemonte said.

The meet will begin the summer competitive season, which will include the Summer Regionals on June 16-18 in Orlando.

Those Moss Farms divers qualifying at Regionals will be able to return home to compete in the Summer East Championships, which will be held July 6-9 at the Moose Moss Aquatic Center.

Junior Nationals will be held July 26-30 in Indianapolis, Ind.

“This is the kickoff,” said Piemonte, who will leave Moss Farms after the East Championships to take over as the diving coach at Virginia Tech. “That’s the way I look at the Moose Moss.

“It’s a warm up, a good way of getting the kids in front of judges before Regionals.”

The meet is especially important for the young divers who have little or no experience diving in a competitive situation.

The weekend of competition will get under way today with the second annual Janie Moss Golf Tournament, a two-man scramble event that begins at 1 p.m. at Sunset Country Club.