Saturday’s ULM Bayou Classic brought several factors for skiers including humidity, light rain, an overcast and even boat motor trouble. But none of these were able to stop the Warhawks from earning top honors over University of Louisiana at Lafayette, University of Texas, Texas State, Texas A&M and Mississippi State.
Winner of the men’s slalom in back-to-back tournaments for the Warhawks was Sophomore James Earl from Birmingham, England, with a score of 106.00.
“My goal this year is to win collegiate Nationals and pick up some individual titles along the way,” Earl said. “We have a strong team. All we have to do is put it together.”
“James is a really nice guy and continues to be a great skier for us,” said coach Treina Landrum.
Winner of the women’s slalom with a score of 97.00 was ULM freshman Makayla Haw. Haw, a California native, is said to be an all-around phenomenal skier who has already made a name for herself in the pro skiing world.
“It feels really good to be on our home site and put up a good score,” said Haw. “Coming to Louisiana was definitely a culture shock, but I knew everybody on the team from skiing outside of college, so it wasn’t that bad. I’ve really enjoyed meeting new people and my experience here so far.”
Last weekend a few buoys were the only thing that kept Haw from winning a pro tournament in California.
Another remarkable freshman added to this year’s ski team is Martin Kolman. Kolman, a native of the Czech Republic, scored a 104.00 that tied him for second in slalom behind Earl.
“Martin is on the same level as Zack (Worden),” said ULM captain Will Oliver. “He should be a good replacement.”
“We were very happy to get Martin,” said Landrum. “He is one of the best young guys out there.”
Landrum said having standout Czech skiers in the past really helped in getting Martin to come to ULM.
Several ULM skiers believe that Florida Southern will be the Warhawks biggest competition this year. ULM’s next tournament will be regionals in Texas, and then it’s on to Nationals in Zachary on Oct. 18.
