Rumble in the Bayou

Watch out Monroe, here they come! The CSUS water ski team is off to the national championships this weekend in Monroe, Louisiana. Coming off a second-place finish in the Western Conference regional championships two weeks ago, the Hornets are primed and ready to compete for the national championship. They will face the 11 best water ski teams from around the country in the two-day event.

Led by junior J.R. Wheeler and freshman Marcus Brown, coach Brian Dulgar feels his team has a legitimate shot at winning the whole thing.

"We have two of the best skiers in the country," Dulgar said of Wheeler and Brown, both of whom held records in slalom skiing this past month. Although their records were broken, they have the ability to set them again.

"Basically, I'm competing against two guys," said Brown. "If I do what I can do, I can hang with them."

This is the Hornets' 11th trip to the nationals under Dulgar's leadership and this time around he only has one skier with any collegiate national championship experience. Senior slalom skier Carrie Lea went to nationals as a freshman in 1995.

"Out of the 20 skiers we have this year, only eight ever skied competitively before coming to Sac State," said Dulgar.

Excitement encompassed the whole team during practice on Monday.

"I'm so stoked," said Leslie Ager, a junior women's slalom, jump and trick skier.

She hopes to place in the top five spot in the overall competition, and improve on her second-place finish in the regional championships.

The Hornet women's trick team is a close-knit group, they even have a little dance they do together before each of them competes.

"The dance relaxes us before we go out on the water," said trick skier Lori Hoffman.

These women know that having fun is the most important thing while they ski.

"Other teams are envious of the unity we have," said Hoffman. "Long Beach State skiers said they wished they could ski with us, because we have so much fun."

Fun isn't the only thing the Hornets plan to have this weekend. They hope to come back victorious.

"I think the team will fulfill its full potential at nationals," said senior trick skier Andria Garbiso.

Most of the players believe a full potential performance could result not only in personal bests, but national bests as well.

Eric Lloyd, a senior jump and trick skier and the oldest member of the team, never thought he would be skiing in the national championship.

"I just walked up to the water ski booth during the first couple of weeks of school and signed up," said Lloyd.

Brian Esslinger, a senior trick skier, enjoys being involved in the success of the team, because being an ex-Hornet football player, he was not used to it.

"I'm nervous and excited," said Rachele Bristow, a sophomore women's slalom and jump skier, "leaning more toward the nervous side."

Bristow's family helped build the lake that the Hornets use for practice, and she has been skiing there since she was six years old.

Growing up she and her friends dreamed about one day skiing in the collegiate national championships. Her dream will become a reality as the Hornets leave for the Bayou early Wednesday morning.