MOULTRIE — The Colquitt County High diving team may have sacrificed a first-place finish at the Metro Atlanta Swimming and Diving Championships on Friday, but in so doing allowed two of its members who will not dive at the state meet to compete in the Atlanta meet.

Divers Hannah Moore and Ali Lepech, who have qualified for the Feb. 9 state meet, turned into cheerleaders as Maddie Qurnell and Erin Goodman took their places on Friday.

Teams are allowed to enter just four divers in both the Metro Atlanta and the state diving championships.

Moore and Lepech have qualified for the state meet, but stood down on Friday to allow Qurnell and Goodman take part.

And they did well. Qurnell finished sixth with a 355.85 and Goodman was 13th.

Colquitt County took second place in both the girls and boys events.

Anna Aguero was second in the 31-entry girls meet with a 430.00. She finished behind Cali Harrison of Harrison of North Oconee, who had a 447.25. Harrison finished second to Moore in the Clarke-Oconee Invitational two weeks ago.

Colquitt County’s Staci Howard was fifth on Friday with a 361.95.

The Packers’ Ryan Helms turned in a 527.15 to finish a close second in the boys competition to former teammate Eric Winnard, who had a 533.10.

Helms, a sophomore, defeated Winnard, a senior, in the meet in Athens two weeks ago.

The two will not square off in the state meet, however. Helms will dive in the Class AAAAA competition. Winnard, a former Packer now diving for Oconee County, will dive in the Class AAAA-A meet.

All four of the Colquitt County boys finished in the top 10 of the 23-diver field.

Owen Blank was fourth with a 448.60; Nic Price was eighth, with a 396.35; and Jacob Russell was 10th, with a 388.60.

The Colquitt County divers had to endure a four-hour bus ride to take part in the meet, which otherwise featured primarily Atlanta- and Athens-area divers.

The meet was held at The Westminster Schools, the site of the state meet. Moore and Lepech were allowed to practice on Friday to help prepare for the state meet.