Water skiers place fifth in tourney
The UCLA water ski team finished in fifth place overall out of nine teams last weekend at a tournament hosted by Chico State.
The men’s team was led by medical school student Mike Leonardi, who tied for second in the slalom event with four buoys at 32 feet off, and also finished second in the jump event with a 120-foot jump.
Fifth-year team president Mike Bonino had multiple personal bests, first in the slalom event finishing fifth place with two buoys at 28 feet off, and also in the jump event with a 59-foot jump, helping the men’s team to secure a third place finish in the jump event.
The women’s team was highlighted by a fourth place finish in the jump event, led by second year student Lisa Borges and graduate student Ashley Forbes, who contributed 32- and 29-foot jumps.
Earlier in the season UCLA hosted the Western Regional Warm-ups in Bakersfield on Sept. 22 and 23. Over 90 skiers from 12 different teams competed in the first tournament of the fall season.
The tournament was hosted at Ironwood Ski Ranch, owned by former UCLA water ski team members Gail and Randy Heinrich.
If you are interested in the water ski team, send an e-mail to waterski@ucla.edu. You can also attend weekly meetings on Wednesdays at 8:15 p.m. on the second floor of the John Wooden Center.