Garcia, Lang Earn October Honors

Garcia, Lang Earn October Honors

USA Water Ski has selected Taylor Garcia (Winter Garden, Fla.) as its Male Athlete of the Month and Erika Lang (Gilbert, Ariz.) as its Female Athlete of the Month for October. Garcia and Lang are now eligible for the United States Olympic Committee’s Best of October Team USA Awards, presented by Dow.

In leading the University of Louisiana-Monroe to its 28th overall national team title, Garcia won titles in men’s jumping (188 feet) and overall at the 39th Connelly Skis Collegiate Water Ski National Championships, Oct. 19-21, at Bennett’s Water Ski & Wakeboard School in Zachary, La. Garcia also placed fifth in slalom and eighth in tricks.

Lang won the women’s tricks title at the Collegiate Water Ski National Championships, Oct. 19-21, at Bennett’s Water Ski & Wakeboard School in Zachary, La., with a pending National Collegiate Water Ski Association record of 6,110 points. If approved, the record will surpass the mark of 5,960 points set by Lang at the 2015 Collegiate Nationals in Cypress, Texas. Lang also set a pending women’s world tricks record of 10,760 points on Oct. 7 at the Sunset Fall Classic at Jack Travers’ International Tournament Skiing at Sunset Lakes in Groveland, Fla. If approved by the International Waterski & Wakeboard Federation’s Tournament Council, the score will surpass the current record of 10,610 points.