The water ski team won its 23rd National Championship at the 33rd Collegiate Water Ski National Championships on Oct. 13-15, in Zachary, La.
In the three-day event, the team won two individual titles.
Sophomore Tyler Scott from Covington won the individual title for the men’s slalom in 1 buoy at 39-1/2 feet off.
“I don’t know if there’s a better feeling,” Scott said. “Coach (Treina) Landrum pushes us to be the best.”
Junior Zach Worden from Deltona, Fla. won the men’s jumping title with 194 feet and 1,640.0 overall points.
Worden’s individual jump is a pending National Collegiate Water Ski Association (NCWSA) national record.
Worden said, “We knew we could win it.”
If approved by the NCWSA, Worden’s mark will surpass the record of 193 feet set by the University of Louisiana at Lafayette’s Ryan Fitts at the 1999 Collegiate Nationals.
Junior team captain William Oliver from England, said he knew they would soar to new heights.
Oliver said, “I knew we had it, the morning of the third day.”
He said his nervousness shook when the team showed up in their events.
Worden said, “We’re kind of like a big family; you don’t want to let your family down.”
The team treats each other like a family, but also there is a sister duo on the team.
Jenny and Eleanor Benjamin from London, England.
The Benjamin sisters have been skiing since, “we were little girls.”
The Benjamin sisters were joined by their parents at the national championships in Zachary.
Mrs. Benjamin said, “It’s great seeing them out there.”
She said, “We (parents) still ski, but not at their level.”
With hard work and team cohesion, the Warhawks water ski team landed on top.
Unfortanetely, Warhawk James Earl was not able to stick the landing on his second jump attempt, colliding with the ski boards. The unsuccessful landing broke his left arm.
“The ramp wasn’t that big,” Earl said. “It was about the size of the one in Bayou Desiard.”
Next for the team, more celebration.
The team celebrates ULM homecoming on Oct. 25th with a show at Bayou DeSiard.
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