McCranie, Niday earn golds at Moose Moss Invitational

Published 12:04 pm Saturday, March 4, 2023

MOULTRIE – ElliReese Niday and Ruth Anne McCranie earned gold medals and U.S. Olympic team member Tyler Downs displayed his skills on Friday in the Moose Moss Invitational being held at the Moose Moss Aquatic Center.

Niday, 11, placed first in the 11-and-under girls platform and joined Diving Tigers teammate Austin Taylor in placing second in the women’s 3-meter synchronized diving event.

McCranie teamed with Coral Springs Diving’s Kaylee Bishop to finish first in the 3-meter synchro event.

McCranie also took the silver medal in the senior women’s 1-meter event.

Another silver medal on Friday went to Amelia Gregory, who was second in the 11-and-under platform.

Moss Farms Diving took three of the top four finishes in that event with Ruby Demott placing fourth.

Downs, a six-time junior national champion who competed on 3-meter at the 2021 Summer Olympics in Tokyo, came to Moultrie from Purdue and won the senior men’s 3-meter.

He also joined Ripfest Diving Club’s Braylon Goodno in taking the men’s 3-meter synchro event.

The annual Moose Moss Invitational will continue on Saturday and Sunday at the Moose Moss Aquatics Center.

Some 207 divers representing 16 clubs are competing.

Also diving for Moss Farms in the meet is University of Georgia-committed Bo Bridges, who was third in the senior men’s  3-meter.

Beck Gregory also won a bronze medal with his third-place finish in the 12-13 boys 3-meter.

Brothers Tuck and Trip Gregory placed fourth in the men’s 3-meter synchro event.

Tuck also was sixth and Trip was eighth in the senior men’s 3-meter.

Luke Hernandez was fourth in that event.

In addition to her silver medal on platform, Amelia Gregory also teamed with Fort Lauderdale Diving Team’s Ariel Hall to finish sixth in women’s 3-meter synchro.

Also competing for Moss Farms on Friday were:

Elizabeth Hobby, seventh on 14-15 girls platform

Kendall Deloach, eighth on 14-15 girls platform.

Shannon Icard, sixth on senior women’s 1-meter.

Colette Bell, seventh on senior women’s 1-meter.

Selah Huante, seventh in 12-13 boys 3-meter.

Charles Stevens, ninth in 12-13 boys 3-meter.

Christopher Griffin, seventh in 14-15 boys platform.

Judson Taylor, 10th, 14-15 boys platform.

Zechariah Ledl, 11th, 14-15 boys platform.

Austin Taylor, seventh, 12-13 girls 1-meter.

Ava Harden, 17th, 12-13 girls 1-meter.

Luis Tlanepantla was the only entry in the 11-and-under boys platform event.