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RistoFive U.S. Water Ski Teams – junior, 17 to 20, elite, veteran 1 and veteran 2 – won overall team gold medals at the 2006 Pan American Water Ski Championships, Sept. 19-24, in Acuaski Morelos, Mexico. The biennial event featured athletes and teams from North, Central and South America. In addition to team medals, individual medals in slalom, tricks, jumping and overall also were at stake in the six-day tournament. U.S. athletes combined to win 59 individual medals, including 27 gold.
“With all five of our U.S. teams bringing home gold medals from the 2006 Pan American Water Ski Championships, the United States has proved once again that it is a dominant force in the sport of water skiing,” said Andy Jugan, USA Water Ski's executive director. “I commend the strong performances by all of our athletes.”
The U.S. Junior Water Ski Team was comprised of Caroline Hensley (Chattanooga, Tenn.), Taylor Pavur (Santa Fe, Texas), Storm Selsor (Fremont, Calif.) and Zack Worden (Deltona, Fla.). The team tallied 8,885.0 points in winning the gold medal over Canada (6,502.1 points) and Mexico (4,745.2 points). Hensley swept gold medals in Women's slalom, tricks, jumping and overall; Worden won gold medals in Men's jumping and overall; earned the silver in slalom and the bronze in tricks; Selsor won the gold in Men's tricks and the silver in jumping; and Pavur won the gold medal in Men's slalom, silver medals in tricks and overall and the bronze medal in jumping.
Members of the U.S. 17 to 20 Water Ski Team were Danyelle Bennett (Zachary, La.), Cale Burdick (Danville, Ind.), Alex Lauretano (Morris, Conn.) and Joy Todd (Pierson, Fla.). The team scored 8,570.0 points in winning the gold medal over Canada (6,428.1 points) and Mexico (6,353.1 points). Bennett won gold medals in Women's slalom and overall, the silver medal in tricks and the bronze medal in jumping; Lauretano won the gold medal in Women's jumping, the silver medal in overall and bronze medals in slalom and tricks; Todd won the gold medal in Women's tricks, silver medals in slalom and jumping and the bronze medal in overall; and Burdick won the gold medal in Men's slalom, the silver medal in overall and the bronze medal in jumping.
Bennett also competed as a member of the U.S. Elite Water Ski Team along with Brandi Hunt (Clermont, Fla.), Freddy Krueger (Winter Garden, Fla.), Mandy Nightingale (Sapulpa, Okla.), Karen Truelove (Winter Garden, Fla.) and Jimmy Siemers (Round Rock, Texas). The team finished with 8,757.1 points in winning the gold medal over Canada (8,556.2 points) and Mexico (5,807.8 points). Bennett won the gold medal in Women's jumping and bronze medals in slalom, tricks and overall; Krueger won the gold medal in Men's jumping; Nightingale earned silver medals in Women's tricks, jumping and overall; Siemers won the gold medal in Men's tricks, the silver medal in overall and bronze medals in slalom and jumping; and Truelove earned the silver medal in Women's slalom.
Members of the U.S. Veteran 1 Water Ski Team (ages 35-44) were Marc Bedsole (Orlando, Fla.), John Carder (Knoxville, Tenn.), Jody Johnson (Conyers, Ga.) and Lisa Lamb (East Troy, Wis.). The team tallied 7,466.7 points in winning the gold medal over Mexico (6,365.8 points) and Canada (5,577.3 points). Bedsole earned the bronze medal in Men's tricks; Carder won the gold medal in Men's jumping; Johnson earned the silver medal in Men's slalom; and Lamb swept gold medals in Women's slalom, tricks, jumping and overall.
Competing as members of the U.S. Veteran 2 Water Ski Team (ages 45 and over) were Tom Danford (Angola, Ind.), Leza Harrison (Oviedo, Fla.), Darren Janzig (Center City, Minn.) and Rondi Lang (Gilbert, Ariz.). The team finished with 7,435.7 points in winning the gold medal over Canada (7,236.3 points) and Chile (3,715.4 points). Harrison won gold medals in Women's tricks and overall, and silver medals in slalom and jumping; Janzig won gold medals in Men's slalom and tricks; and Lang won gold medals in Women's slalom and jumping, the silver medal in overall and the bronze medal in tricks.
Lori Krueger (Santa Fe, Texas) and Mike Meek (Albany, Ohio) were the coaches; Jim Grew (Winter Haven, Fla.) was the team manager; and Brad Greenbaum (Tustin, Calif.) was the team physician.
For complete results, visit USAWATERSKI.org.
