Carson Tyler and ElliReese Niday represented Moss Farms Diving at the UANA Pan American Junior Diving Championships held last Thursday through Sunday in Tucson, Arizona.

MOULTRIE — Carson Tyler’s performance at the recent UANA Pan American Junior Diving Championships in Tucson, Ariz., was far superior to the one he turned in when the event was held in Santiago, Chile, two years ago.

That improved performance, which included a pair of gold medals, helped USA win the team championship for the first time since 2011.

And ElliReese Niday, his 9-year-old Moss Farms teammate, also contributed to the Team USA effort, finishing second to earn the silver medal on platform and taking fourth in the 3-meter springboard event.

Tyler won gold medals in the 16-18 boys 1-meter and 3-meter synchronized diving events and took a silver on the 3-meter individual event.

Tyler and Niday were among seven USA divers who earned medals in the Championships, which drew 79 divers from the U.S., Canada, Mexico, Colombia and Brazil.

The competition was held at the University of Arizona’s Hillenbrand Aquatic Center in Tucson.

Team USA was first with 665 points and was followed by Mexico, with 547; Canada, 513; Colombia, 287; and Brazil, 88.

Tyler, who is currently on the diving team at the University of Indiana, continued his outstanding 2021 performances.

In the 16-18 boys 1-meter final, he finished first with a 463.35.

He was followed by USA’s Maxwell Weinrich of Brookeville, Md., and Canada’s Benjamin Smyth.

Tyler also teamed with Weinrich to take first place in the 3-meter synchro event, with the pair scoring a 288.21.

Second place went to a pair of divers from Colombia. A team from Brazil was third.

Weinrich took the gold medal on the 3-meter springboard with a 518.25.

Tyler was second, 1.30 points back. The field also included two divers from Brazil, two from Canada and one from Colombia.

Earlier this year, Tyler competed in the U.S. Olympic Team Trials and also took the gold medal in the 16-18 boys age group on the 1-meter and 3-meter boards and a silver medal on platform at USA Diving’s Junior National Championships.

Tyler’s performance in Tucson helped put behind him his 2019 performance in which he failed a dive in an event he was leading at the time.

“He was significantly better (in Tucson),” said Moss Farms coach John Fox, who served on the Team USA’s staff headed up by John Appleman.

Fox said Tyler told him that he has learned so much from his failures and that his experience in Chile made him a much better diver.

“He told me it allowed him to do what he is able to do now,” Fox said.

Tyler was able to turn in his outstanding performances despite not being able to get to Tucson until Wednesday, because of school commitments at Indiana.

He competed in his first event the next day.

Most of the other divers entered in the event had been on hand since Monday.

“He had zero time to acclimate to the pool,” Fox said.

And virtually no time to practice with Weinrich, his synchro partner.

The two have known each other for several years, but had never competed in synchro before.

“And they dived awesome,” Fox said.

Tyler has begun preparations for some senior level meets, including the Winter Nationals.

He also will compete in the Junior Pan American Games, which will include competition in 42 sports.

The Games, which will be held in Cali, Colombia, will run Nov. 22-29.

“It really has been cool to see how mature he has become,” Fox said of Tyler.

Niday won gold, silver and bronze medals at Junior Nationals in the 11-and-under age group and performed to that level in Tucson as well.

“For her to do what she did is just incredible,” Fox said.

On the 3-meter springboard, Niday scored a 206.70 to finish 6.85 points away from earning the bronze medal.

First place went to Mia Cueva Lobato of Mexico, who scored 241.45. The silver medal went to her sister Lia Cueva Lobato, who turned in a 235.80.

The USA also earned the bronze medal when Mallory Worbel scored a 213.55.

“She dived OK,” Fox said of Niday’s 3-meter performance. “She just wasn’t ‘on.’”

The other girls entered in the 3-meter event were all 11 years old, Fox said.

After diving 3-meter, the daughter of former outstanding Moss Farms and University of Tennessee diver Lauryn McCalley Niday had to wait two days before competing on platform.

In the platform event, she scored a 218.75 to finish second behind Mexico’s Abigail Gonzalez Roel, who scored a 239.75.

Third place went to Jennifer Lozano of Mexico with a score of 213.90.

“She did a very solid list,” Fox said of Niday.

Fox was pleased with Niday’s effort.

He said that there is pressure at Junior Nationals, which has some 600 competitors.

But the Pan American Championships drew fewer than 100 and divers know what the competition is capable of.

Niday proved she belonged in that company.

“There was no bad diving in that pool,” Fox said. “I just wanted her to leave with a good international experience.

“I wanted her to think, ‘OK, I qualified for this level and I left with a silver medal.’

Fox noted that the Colquitt County middle school and high school diving seasons will begin next month and the date for next year’s Moose Moss Invitational will be March 4-6.