MOULTRIE — Moss Farms split its contingent of divers between two Regional competitions last weekend and 13 qualified to advance to the Junior Summer East Championships, to be held July 6-9 at the Moose Moss Aquatic Center in Moultrie.

Fourteen Diving Tigers went to Orlando for the Region 7 championships and 11 finished eighth or better, qualifying for the East Championships.

Four other Moss Farms divers went to Boston, Mass. Anna Aguero and Staci Howard qualified. Maddie Qurnell and Jacob Russell each had ninth-place finishes and will be alternates.

The East Championships were formerly known as Zone competitions. Those who qualify at the East Championships will be able to compete at the 2006 Junior National Diving Championships to be held July 26-30 at the Indiana University Natatorium.

Aguero had an outstanding meet in Boston, finishing first on both the 1-meter and 3-meter springboards in the girls 16-18 age group.

Howard, also competing in the 16-18 age group, was eighth on both boards.

Qurnell was 10th on 1-meter and ninth on 3-meter. Russell also was ninth on 3-meter.

As alternates, both could compete at the East Championships if one of the qualifiers bows out.

The Moss Farms contingent at Orlando finished second overall and the boys and girls teams each place second. Divers from 14 clubs took part.

Ryan Helms, Ali Lepech and Kelsey Goodman each had first-place finishes in Orlando.

Helms was first on 1-meter in the boys 16-18 age group.

He also was second on platform and third on 3-meter.

Lepech took her gold medal on the 3-meter springboard in the 14-15 girls age group.

She also had a pair of silver-medal performances, finishing second on both the platform and the 1-meter springboard.

Goodman, also in the girls 14-15 age group, was first on 1-meter board, edging Lepech, her Moss Farms teammate.

She also was third on both the 3-meter board and the platform.

Hannah Moore also qualified for the East Championships on all three boards.

A rising senior at Colquitt County High who is likely to land a Division I diving scholarship, Moore was third in both the 3-meter and platform events and was fifth on 1-meter in the girls 16-18 age group.

Owen Blank went to Orlando with a sore back and decided not to enter the platform competition.

But he finished sixth on 3-meter and eighth on 1-meter to punch his ticket to the East Championships.

Dean Benton had a strong meet in the boys 14-15 age group, finishing fifth on both the platform and 1-meter springboard and sixth on 3-meter.

Also in the boys 14-15 age group, Henry Norman was seventh on 1-meter.

In 14-15 girls, Ann Perry Blank was seventh on both the 3-meter and platform and was ninth on 1-meter.

Jillian Braun also competed in the 14-15 girls age group and was seventh on platform, ninth on 3-meter and 16th on 1-meter.

Elizabeth Ann Kirkland will compete at home on the 1-meter board after her seventh-place finish in the girls 13-and-under event.

Ronnie Piemonte, son of outgoing Moss Farms coach Ron Piemonte, advanced with a sixth-place finish on the 1-meter board in the 13-and-under age group.

Also in boys 13-and-under, Tevin Hightower was fourth on 3-meter and eighth on 1-meter.

“At this point, Regionals is just something you just have to do,” Ron Piemonte said. “We’ve gotten through the first step.

“Now we’ve just got to continue training. And we’ve got 2 1/2 weeks.”

And the team is looking forward to being able to compete next in familiar surroundings.

“It’s always good to sleep in your own bed and dive in your own pool,” Piemonte said.