| EL CENTRO, Calif., Oct. 15, 2016 - The University of Louisiana-Monroe water ski team won the Division 1 national title at the 38th Collegiate Water Ski National Championships, Oct. 13-15, at Imperial Lakes. The Warhawks tallied 11,260 points in winning their 27th national team title since the inception of the tournament in 1979. Louisiana-Lafayette, the 2015 national champion, finished second scoring 11,135 points. Florida Southern College, which tallied 10,970 points, placed third. Alabama finished fourth with 10,705 points and Rollins College was fifth with 9,145 points. The Nationals, organized and hosted by the San Diego State water ski team, the Imperial Lakes Water Ski Club and the National Collegiate Water Ski Association, included 12 teams in Division 1 and 12 teams in Division 2. National team champions were declared in both divisions. Individual medals for slalom, tricks and jumping were awarded based on athletes' placements within their division. Overall titles were awarded in each division to athletes competing in all three events. Athletes finishing in the top-five in each event of slalom, tricks, jumping and overall in Division 1 earned All-American honors. The Division 1 field was comprised of: Alabama, Arizona State, Clemson, Florida Southern, Kansas, Louisiana-Lafayette, Louisiana-Monroe, Michigan, Michigan State, Ohio State, Rollins and San Diego State. Athletes winning individual national titles in Division 1 were: Louisiana-Lafayette'sGiannina Bonnemann (Germany), women's overall (1,700 points); Rollins College'sJoshua Briant (Australia), men's tricks (6,820 points); Rollins College's Natalia Cuglievan (Peru), women's tricks (4,500 points); Louisiana-Lafayette's Taryn Grant (Canada), women's jumping (147 feet); Louisiana-Monroe's Martin Kolman (Czech Republic), men's jumping (175 feet) and overall (1,560 points); Louisiana-Lafayette'sDane Mechler (Loveland, Ohio) and Florida Southern College's Thibaut Dailland (France), men's slalom (tie: 4 buoys at 39-1/2 feet off); and Florida Southern College's Allie Nicholson (Gallatin, Tenn.), women's slalom (2 buoys at 39-1/2 feet off).To view the Division 1 scorebook, click here. The Division 2 field was comprised of Arkansas, Auburn, UC-Davis, UCLA, Cincinnati, Grand Valley State, Iowa State, Miami of Ohio, Texas, Texas A&M, Western Washington and Wisconsin-La Crosse. Miami of Ohio won the Division 2 title for the first time, scoring 8,535 points. Western Washington University, the 2015 champion, finished second with 8,520 points. Wisconsin-La Crosse (8,235 points), Grand Valley State (8,115 points) and Cincinnati (7,800 points) rounded out the top-five placements. Athletes winning individual national titles in Division 2 were: Texas A&M's Ryan Bridgford (Red Oak, Texas), men's slalom (3 buoys at 35 feet off); Texas A&M's Jade Hanson (Rosharon, Texas), women's slalom (1 buoy at 35 feet off), tricks (1,760 points) and overall (1,490 points); Western Washington's Matthew Kienbaum (Liberty Lake, Wash.), men's jumping (137 feet); Western Washington's Jaye Morris (San Diego, Calif.), women's jumping (119 feet); Arkansas' Nick Newton (Hot Springs, Ark.), men's tricks (1,780 points); and Texas A&M's Cullen Parker (Martindale, Texas), men's overall (1,620 points).To view the Division 2 scorebook, click here. |
| About USA Water Ski |
| The National Collegiate Water Ski Association is one of nine sport discipline organizations of USA Water Ski, which was formed in 1939 as a non-profit organization promoting water skiing in the United States. USA Water Ski is affiliated with the International Waterski & Wakeboard Federation (world governing body) and is recognized by the United States Olympic Committee and Pan-American Sports Organization as the national governing body of organized water skiing and wakeboarding in the United States. This press release, as well as other information, is available at www.USAWATERSKI.org. |