October 4, 2005

Sac State hosts regional water ski tournament

Sacramento State will host the annual Western Regional Conference Water-Ski Championships on Saturday and Sunday, Oct. 8 and 9 at Shortline Lake in Elk Grove. Admission is free. Team captains Kelly Bryan and Keith Collins lead the way for Sac State’s 18-skier roster, said coach and Sacramento State alumnus Brian Dulgar.

Sacramento State was recognized in the fall 2005 issue of WaterSki magazine as one of the top 10 water ski programs in the country and “a perennial contender at the national level.”

The competition is divided into men’s and women’s categories and is judged on slalom, trick and jump competitions.

The two-day championships will feature some of the best water skiers in the region and will allow for five schools to advance to the national tournament, hosted by Purdue University in Paducah, Ky., Oct. 20 – 22. Sacramento State has qualified for the national tournament 23 of the 26 years of its existence.

“Nationals is always a great experience for our skiers,” Dulgar says. “The students get the experience of competing with some of the best skiers in the country and seeing some of the top skiers in the world.”

Sacramento State’s ski team began in 1981 as a loose club of ski enthusiasts, including Dulgar, and has since become one of the most successful and respected programs in the country. The team, a member of the National Collegiate Water Ski Association, trains at the Sacramento State Aquatic Center at Lake Natoma and several other local facilities in the Sacramento area.

Sacramento State is coming off an impressive victory at the most recent tournament, hosted by California State University, Chico. The team edged out conference powerhouse Arizona State in a close competition held at Sky Lake on Sept 17 and 18.

For more information contact the Sacramento State Aquatic Center at (916) 278-2842 or logon to www.csusaquaticcenter.com. For media assistance, contact the Sacramento State Public Affairs office at (916) 278-6156.

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