2016 Pan American Water Ski Championships Scheduled for November

The 2016 Pan American Water Ski Championships will be held Nov. 14-20, at Boca Laguna in Chapala, Jalisco, Mexico. Six U.S. Water Ski Teams have been selected to compete. The teams - Under 13, Junior, 17 to 20, Elite, Over 35 and Over 45 - were selected based on a pre-determined selection criteria approved by the American Water Ski Association's International Activities Committee and board of directors.

Members of the U.S. Elite Water Ski Team, which was selected in the summer of 2015 to represent the United States at both the 2015 Water Ski World Championships and 2016 Pan American Water Ski Championships, are: Scot Ellis (Auburndale, Fla.), Regina Jaquess (Santa Rosa Beach, Fla.), Erika Lang (Gilbert, Ariz.), Alex Lauretano (Windermere, Fla.), Adam Pickos (Santa Rosa Beach, Fla.) and Nate Smith (McCordsville, Ind.).

Selected to the U.S. Under 13 Water Ski Team were: Brooke Boskus (Elkins, Ark.), James Bryans (Acworth, Ga.), Blaze Grubbs (Rio Linda, Calif.) and Kennedy Hansen (Milton, Fla.). Selected as alternates were (alphabetical order): Alyssa Drake (Oconomowoc, Wis.) and Robert Powell (Lorton, Va.).

Selected to the U.S. Junior Water Ski Team were: Ryan Canepa (Elk Grove, Calif.), Anna Gay (Winter Garden, Fla.), Dylan Melnar (Seguin, Texas) and Emma Morgan (Buda, Texas). Selected as alternates were (alphabetical order): Amanda Bryans (Acworth, Ga.), Ryan Gay (Winter Garden, Fla.), Bailey Grathwohl (Martindale, Texas), Taylor Grathwohl (Martindale, Texas), Garrett Reese (Walnut Creek, Calif.) and Garrett Stallings (Rossville, Tenn.).

Selected to the U.S. 17 to 20 Water Ski Team were: Abbi Grathwohl (Martindale, Texas), Ellie Horton (Lakeland, Fla.), Nick Lang (Gilbert, Ariz.) and Jenna Morgan (Odessa, Fla.). Selected as alternates were (alphabetical order): Julianna Boskus (Elkins, Ark.), Krista Butterfield (Sherman, Texas) and Zachary Butterfield (Sherman, Texas).

Selected to the U.S. Over 35 Water Ski Team were: Graham Fizer (Atlanta, Ga.), Julie Krueger (Santa Fe, Texas), Marc Shaw (Ocoee, Fla.) and Jeff Surdej (Wilmington, Ill.).

Selected to the U.S. Over 45 Water Ski Team were: Russell Gay (Winter Garden, Fla.), Mitch Grau (Carrollton, Texas), Tony Knight (Jacksonville, Fla.) and Lori Krueger (Martindale, Texas).

The team staff will consist of Bob Schouten (Alexander City, Ala.), manager; Lori Krueger (Martindale, Texas), coach; and Dr. Brad Harman (Alvarado, Texas), physician. 

About USA Water Ski: The American Water Ski Association is one of nine sport discipline organizations of USA Water Ski, which 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 and wakeboarding in the United States.