Moose Moss Invitational to feature 170 divers from 14 teams

Published 7:16 pm Monday, March 22, 2021

MOULTRIE — Moss Farms Diving will celebrate the extensive renovation of its home of 28 years with one of the largest Moose Moss Invitational fields in recent memory.

Some 170 divers from 14 teams, including ones from Indiana and Minnesota, will compete in the annual invitational at the Moose Moss Aquatic Center.

The event will be the first in the diving well since it has undergone a significant modernization.

And the quality of diving will befit what will now be one of the most up-to-date facilities of its kind in the country, says Moss Farms coach John Fox.

“When it was dedicated in 1993, it was the most technologically advanced in the world,” Fox said. “We have brought it back to its former glory, plus some,” Fox said.

Among the improvements to the facility  is an expanded deck area, a relocated hot tub, a new judges podium, new short board stands, four new boards, new gutters around the pool, a new sparger system (which releases compressed air to make bubbles that allow for softer landings for divers), new marcite (the pool coating), an updated video analysis system, new electric infrastructure, a new technology network and new fencing.

Fox is especially proud of the video analysis system.

“There is not a better one in the country,” he said.

The renovations were made in conjunction withe improvements to the adjacent Moultrie-Colquitt County Parks and Recreation Authority-operated swimming pool.

A ribbon-cutting ceremony was Wednesday morning.

Diving will begin at 9 a.m. on Friday.

Competition will be held in the 11-and-under age group through senior men and women.

In addition to nearly 40 Diving Tigers, there will be athletes representing Atlantic Coast Diving; Woodlands (Texas) Diving Academy; Tennessee Aquatics; Orlando Dive Academy; Coral Springs Diving; Fish Outa Water Diving Club; RipFest Diving from Arcadia, Ind.; Fort Lauderdale Diving Team; Osprey ZAP Diving from Islamorada, Fla.; Minnesota Diving Club; West Florida Lightning Aquatics of Largo, Fla.; Seahawks Diving Team; and South Carolina Divers.

Fox said he was able to get such a large and quality field for several reasons, including the pandemic (“People were looking to dive,” he said); the new facility; when it fell on the calendar; and the fact that USA Diving Zone competition will be held in Moultrie this summer.

Fox said Coral Springs Diving, Woodlands Diving Academy and RipFest are among the top programs in the country.

Representing Moss Farms will be William Bius, Bo Bridges, Tripp Bridges, Jodi Cobb, Jerzie Coots, Kindal Culpepper, Carter Davis, Kendall Deloach, Ruby DeMott, Timothy Fagan, Amelia Gregory, Beck Gregory, Trip Gregory, Tuck Gregory, Christopher Griffin, Ava Harden, Skyler Hopper, Selah Huante, Lane Hutto, Luke Hutto, Shannon Icard, Mauri Leroux, Nolan Lewis, Lauren Maag, Kylee Mathis, Ruth Anne McCranie, Ellireese Niday, Charles Stevens, Gibson Stuckey, Austin Taylor, Landon Thomas, Judson Taylor, Carson Tyler, Natalie Tyson, William Tyson, Steele Weeks, Abigale White, Pierson Whittington, Mackenzie Smith and Isabella Grayson.

The Moose Moss field also includes Olympic gold medal winning platform diver Laura Wilkinson, who is attempting a comeback at age 43.

She officially retired after Beijing Olympics in 2008. She won her gold medal in 2000 in Sydney, Australia.

Indiana-bound Carson Tyler, Georgia-bound Nolan Lewis and Bo Bridges will compete in the 3-meter open division on Saturday.

Tyler is coming off a gold-medal winning performance in the senior men’s 3-meter finals at the Coral Springs Winter Invitational.

“This will be the most dynamic invitational since I’ve been here,” said Fox, who became the Moss Farms coach in 2015.

Fox said spectators will be allowed during the competition, but that Moss Farms Diving is recommending those who attend wear masks and observe social distancing.

He said there will be extensive cleaning following each event and that fans will be kept apart from the divers.

“It’s going to be as safe as we can make it,” Fox said.