6 Diving Tigers qualify for championships

Published 10:05 pm Saturday, March 31, 2007

MOULTRIE — Six members of the Moss Farms Diving team have turned in top-six finishes in region competition in North Carolina and have qualified for the Spring East Championships.

Diving Tigers Camille Kirkland, Kelsey Goodman, Elizabeth Ann Kirkland, Jillian Braun, Hannah Moore and Ali Lepech all finished sixth or better in the first two days of the Region 3 Championships in Chapel Hill, N.C., and are guaranteed berths at the East Championships, to be held April 27-29, in Coral Springs, Fla.

On Friday, Camille Kirkland qualified by finishing third in 11-and-under girls 1-meter competition at Chapel Hill.

Kirkland scored a 142.25. Zoe Morgan of the Montgomery (Md.) Dive Club won the event with a 232.30.

Kirkland did not qualify on the 3-meter board, finishing ninth with a 122.65.

She was 9.95 points behind sixth-place finisher Tracy Bullard, also of the Montgomery Dive Club.

Morgan also won the 3-meter event with a 232.30.

The girls 16-18 3-meter competition featured three Moss Farms Divers, but only Kelsey Goodman qualified in that event.

Goodman was third with a 389.85 in the event, which was won by Kentucky Diving’s Jessica Lyden, who had a 401.40.

Moss Farms Diving’s Hannah Moore finished seventh with a 368.70, 7.95 behind sixth-place finisher Ali Lane of South Carolina Divers. Lane had a 376.65

Ali Lepech of Moss Farms was eighth with 355.40. Erin Goodman was 19th with a 264.05.

Also on Friday, Ronnie Piemonte, son of former Moss Farms coach Ron Piemonte, finished first on both the 1- and 3-meter springboards in the 11-and-under boys events.

On Saturday, Elizabeth Ann Kirkland finished third in the 12-13girls 3-meter event with a 242.45. Rebecca Hampton of Kentucky Diving was first with a 284.45.

Leah Piemonte was fifth with a 266.70.

Braun turned in a fine 298.80 to finish second in the 13-14 girls 3-meter competition. Julie Doran of the North Carolina Aquatic Club was first with a 327.55.

Three Diving Tigers qualified in the 16-18 girls 1-meter competition, led by Kelsey Goodman, who was second with a 319.05

Moore was fourth with a 310.55 and Lepech was sixth with a 301.35.

Lyden won her second gold medal of the championships with a 326.90.

In the 12-13 boys 1-meter event on Saturday, Moss Farms diver Tevin Hightower just missed qualifying, finishing seventh with a 147.40. Parker Regaux of the Montgomery Dive club was sixth with a 168.40. Henry Norman competed in the 14-15 boys 1-meter event and was ninth.

In Coral Springs, Fla., Moss Farms diver Jacob Russell missed qualifying on the 3-meter springboard, finishing seventh, 20.95 points out of sixth place.

The Chapel Hill championships will conclude today with the 12-13 girls 1-meter, with Elizabeth Ann Kirkland competing; 12-13 boys 3-meter, with Hightower competing; 14-15 girls 1-meter, with Braun taking part; and 14-15 boys 3-meter events.

Moss Farm divers Ann Perry Blank, Anna Aguero and Owen Blank already qualified at a region competition in Bloomington, Ind., in early March.

The Spring East and West Championships will bring together the top six divers from each of the Regional championships. The Spring West Championships will be held April 27-29 in Mission Viejo, Calif.

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