U.S. Athletes Krueger, Friday and Smith Win Titles At 55th Moomba Masters In Melbourne, Australia
U.S. athlete Taylor Garcia wins title at Junior Moomba
POLK CITY, Fla. – U.S. athletes Freddy Krueger (Winter Garden, Fla.), Dallas Friday (Orlando, Fla.) and Nate Smith (McCordsville, Ind.) won titles in respective events at the 55th Moomba Masters, March 6-9, on the Yarra River in Melbourne, Australia.
Krueger won the men’s jumping title – soaring 227 feet in the finals – over Canada’s Ryan Dodd (225 feet). It was Krueger’s third consecutive and sixth career Moomba Masters’ men’s jumping title. Merritt won the women’s wakeboarding title. Smith won the men’s slalom title – scoring 1-1/2 buoys at 41 feet off in the finals – over Great Britain’s Will Asher and Australia’s Joel Howley, who each scored 1 buoy at 41 feet off. It was Smith’s second consecutive and third career Moomba Masters’ title.
In other events, Belarus’ Natallia Berdnikava won women’s tricks (9,420 points). U.S. athlete Erika Lang (Gilbert, Ariz.) finished second (9,070 points). Belarus’ Aliaksei Zharnasek won men’s tricks (11,870 points). Canada’s Whitney McClintock won women’s slalom (2 buoys at 39-1/2 feet off) and overall (2,758.15 points). Australia’s Jacinta Carroll won women’s jumping (176 feet). U.S. athlete Lauren Morgan (Odessa, Fla.) placed fifth (153 feet). Australia’s Joel Wing won men’s overall (2,742.13 points) and Australia’s Harley Clifford won men’s wakeboarding.
Complete results can be found by visiting: http://www.iwwfed-ea.org/competition.php?cc=T- 15AUS326&page=TimeTable.
Four U.S. athletes also competed for respective titles at the 2015 Junior Moomba Masters, March 4-5, in Melbourne. Taylor Garcia (Winter Garden, Fla.) won the boys’ slalom title. Athletes competed for titles in slalom, tricks, jumping and overall. The Junior Moomba Masters determines champions by the two-round scoring total.
Garcia, who competed only in the slalom event, won the title with scores of 5 buoys at 35 feet off in the first round and 2 buoys at 35 feet off in the finals.
Jenna Morgan (Odessa, Fla.) placed second in girls’ slalom and seventh in tricks. Chanah Carter (Loudon, Tenn.) placed fourth in girls’ slalom, and Alexandra Garcia (Winter Garden, Fla.) finished eighth in girls’ slalom.
Other Junior Moomba Masters’ event winners were: Mexico’s Diego Font, boys’ tricks; Australia’s Joshua Wallent, boys’ jumping and overall; Peru’s Alejandra De Osma, girls’ slalom; Australia’s Tayla Simmonds, girls’ tricks; and Australia’s Katelyn Miller, girls’ jumping and overall.
For complete results from the Junior Moomba Masters, visit: http://www.iwwfed- ea.org/competition.php?cc=T-15AUS325&page=TimeTable.
USA Water Ski was formed in 1939 as a non-profit organization promoting water skiing in the United States. USA Water Ski is affiliated with the International Waterski & Wakeboard Federation (world governing body) and is recognized by the United States Olympic Committee and Pan-American Sports Organization as the national governing body of organized water skiing in the United States.
