Diving Tiger Tyler concluding big 2019 with Olympic Trials qualifier

MOULTRIE – For a majority of the Moss Farms Diving Tigers program, December is like being in preseason mode for the following calendar year. High school level divers are gearing up to qualify for the GHSA championships, and one in particular is stepping up his game even more with something called the Summer Olympics on the horizon.

Carson Tyler’s 2019 biography line is already loaded with major achievements, but the year is not over. For one thing, he committed to Indiana University, and that is where he is heading this weekend for a camp led by Hoosiers coach Drew Johansen. This is specific training for Tyler, who is heading to Minneapolis for the USA Diving Winter Nationals Dec. 17-22.

“It’s an Olympic Trials qualifier,” said Moss Farms head coach John Fox. “Carson really wants to do that. He would be a young qualifier if he got it. It would be a huge achievement. It’s a pretty dense competition, the best divers in the country, senior divers who are in college, NCAA ranked. All the best junior divers are going to be there.”

It all began for Tyler during the USA Diving Junior Nationals at the University of Tennessee. Though he did not take the No. 1 spot on any of the three medal stands, he was there all three times in either second or third place after taking just one third the year before.

“That was great for me,” said Tyler. “It got me selected for the Junior Pan American team, where I went to Santiago, Chile, to represent the U.S. It was a great opportunity. I’m looking forward to finishing off this year with a great showing at the winter trials.”

Backing up again to that call for Team USA and the Junior Pan Ams, Tyler said just the chance to compete in an international setting was a big new experience. And Tyler was on his way to making big news when, deep into his 3-meter list, he suffered a rare mishap that sent him straight into the pool and no points for his score.

“Going into it, I had a lot of momentum through the competition,” said Tyler. “I was in first place. Something happened. I guess it was meant to be how it was. I ended up not being able to complete the dive, and that dropped me a couple of places. It was hard, but …”

Tyler shook it all off, got back on the board for his last entry, and the crowd erupted in support of this American youngster.

“They were there for me. It was rough. They could see that I took it hard. But I came out strong.”

As the new school year began, Tyler made the early commitment to Indiana.

“Indiana is a great diving school,” he said. “I thought it would be the perfect place for my collegiate career. I’m looking forward to training with the coach and seeing what he can help me advance in.”

The pressure never ends, it seems, and Tyler knows that in Minneapolis he must be at the top of his game.

“A young kid against very well decorated divers who have been in it much longer,” he described his challenge. “Collegiate divers, some Olympians. It will be fun to compete against them.”

Tyler is listed to be in the 3-meter springboard, platform and the 3-meter synchronized with Maxwell Miller of Woodlands Diving in Texas. Miller was also a teammate at the Junior Pan Ams.

“I think we’ll have a great showing,” said Tyler. He said he needs a score of 365, or anywhere from 7 to 8 per dive, and there are six dives in each preliminary round. “You have to do dives exceptional, every single one of them.”

“December is pretty busy,” said Fox. “We are going to be at the YCF Christmas Invitational in Orlando Dec. 14-15. That’s kind of a preseason meet for us. It’s a checkpoint for our kids to see where they are. We’re taking 32 there from all levels (Junior Olympics, intermediate). There are a lot of meets in Orlando next year, so it’s going to familiarize them with the pool and how meets are going to run there.”

While Tyler and new Diving Tiger assistant (and Minneapolis native) Tom Gimm go to the Winter Nationals, the other high school level divers will journey to Georgia Tech’s McAuley Aquatic Center for the Madeleine Jude Brown Invitational Meet of Champions on Dec. 20.