Julia Williams (Long Beach, Calif.) won the Women’s Open, 17-35 Women and Women’s Outboard titles.
Ten water ski racing athletes won titles at the 19th annual U.S. Open Water Ski Racing National Championships, Sept. 28-29, at Havasu Springs in Parker, Ariz. The National Water Ski Racing Association, a sport discipline organization of USA Water Ski & Wake Sports, hosted the two-day competition.
More than 30 athletes competed in two rounds of circle-sprint races. The athletes drew for pole positions, made a deep-water start at the drop of a green flag and raced in lanes for a designated number of laps. Athletes competed for titles in 14 divisions. Overall placements were determined by total number of points. In the event of a tie, total race time broke the tie.
Among the highlights, Julia Williams (Long Beach, Calif.) won the Women’s Open, 17-35 Women and Women’s Outboard titles. Ty Cheshier (Valencia, Calif.) won titles in 17-35 Men and Men’s Outboard, and he placed second in Men’s Open. Brent Griffin (Long Beach, Calif.) won titles in Social Open and 60 MPH Open. Australia’s Jaali Walsh won the Men’s Open title. He also teamed up with Gage Goldsmith (Los Alamitos, Calif.) to win the Double-Up division.
Other athletes earning U.S. Open titles in respective divisions were: Jim Johnson (Laguna Hills, Calif.), 75 MPH; Brian Samaniego (Fullerton, Calif.), 36-54 Men; Levi Frederick (Mesa, Ariz.), Hands Out Front; Cheryl Ruston (LaPalma, Calif.), 36 & Over Women; and Dave Chandler (Henderson, Nev.), 55 & Over Men.
Craig Gregory (Newport Beach, Calif.) earned the award for top-scoring driver.