Diving Tigers to play host to Zone Championships beginning Thursday

Published 8:48 pm Monday, June 21, 2021

MOULTRIE — Moss Farms Diving will have the opportunity to put its considerable talent and renovated facility on display for some 216 divers, their families and friends when USA Diving’s Zone B meet begins its four-day run on Thursday.

Divers will take to the Moose Moss Aquatic Center’s springboards and tower for an opportunity to qualify for USA Diving’s Junior National Championships, which will be held July 28-Aug. 3 at the Indiana University Natatorium in Indianapolis.

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Among those contestants will be 26 Diving Tigers, including recent U.S. Olympic Trials competitor Carson Tyler, who will compete in the 3-meter springboard event.

Tyler, who qualified for the Olympic Trials on 3-meter, 3-meter synchro and platform and is heading to Indiana University, will be one of four Diving Tigers competing for the final time at the Moose Moss Aquatic Center.

The other three senior divers are Abi White, Timothy Fagan and Nolan Lewis.

“In their own pool in a Zone meet … it should be a good one for them to remember,” Moss Farms coach John Fox said.

Also representing Moss Farms this week will be Colette Bell, Bo Bridges, Jodi Cobb, Carter Davis, Kendall DeLoach, Ruby DeMott, Amelia Gregory, Beck Gregory, Trip Gregory, Tuck Gregory, Christopher Griffin, Selah Huante, Shannon Icard, Lauren Maag, Kylee Mathis, Ruth Anne McCranie, Ellireese Niday, Charles Stevens, Maggie Strange, Gibson Stuckey, Austin Taylor and Judson Taylor.

The top 10 finishers in the 1-meter and 3-meter springboard events and the top seven finishers in the platform events will qualify for Junior Nationals.

The top three finishers in each event will automatically qualify for semifinals at Junior Nationals.

Tyler also has qualified for semifinals.

Those who qualify for Nationals will do so in what Fox says is the deepest of USA Diving’s Zone competitions.

The 216 divers entered in Moultrie is the most in any of the six Zone championships.

“We’ve got the best one in the country,” Fox said. “Ours is the deepest. But that’s good. I think we’ll do well.

“We’ve been aiming for Nationals for a long time.”

Competition will begin on Thursday with the 11-and-under girls platform and 11-and-under boys platform event starting at 9 a.m.

Diving will begin at 9 a.m. on Friday, Saturday and Sunday as well.