San Diego 026 026026 Poakalani Rangel made a triumphant return to competition by winning the inaugural collegiate women’s longboard division at the National Scholastic Surfing Association (NSSA) opening event held at Blacks Beach in San Diego. Representing the Westcliff University Warriors surf team, Rangel scored a winning total of 13.80 points, narrowly edging out San Diego State019s Chloe Coleman, who scored 12.87. Her two highest waves earned 6.97 and 6.83 points respectively.
Westcliff University coach Lucas Taub described the victory as “massive,” highlighting the achievement over competitors who participate on the World Surf League longboard qualifying series. Rangel019s win provided an early-season highlight for the defending national champion Warriors during a competitive opening event.
The Westcliff women019s shortboard competitors also impressed, with freshman Remy Todd finishing second with 10.73 points, just behind UC San Diego019s Scout Mitchell. Taylor Stacy and sophomore Niyah Rosen also reached the final, finishing fifth and sixth respectively. Rosen made history by reaching the finals in both shortboard and longboard at the same event, a first for the Warriors.
On the men019s side, Titus Santucci posted one of the highest wave scores of the event at 9.33, establishing himself as a key competitor for Westcliff019s men’s team as they defend their national title. Freshman James Havens reached the semifinals, finishing tied for fifth overall in a very strong field.
Westcliff University finished third as a team overall at the Blacks Beach event, behind team champion Point Loma Nazarene University. Coach Taub praised the team019s depth and noted the level of collegiate surfing is “unreal right now.” The Warriors are preparing for their next NSSA tour stop at Huntington Beach with four to six practices scheduled prior to competition.
CSB Take
Poakalani Rangel019s historic win in the inaugural collegiate women’s longboard division sets a promising tone for the Westcliff University Warriors as they aim to defend their national championship in NSSA surfing. Strong individual performances across women’s and men’s divisions illustrate the program019s competitive depth and balanced roster. Going forward, the team019s ability to build on this momentum and respond to formidable rivals such as Point Loma Nazarene University will be essential in sustaining their championship aspirations in this increasingly competitive collegiate surfing landscape.
Source: Original report
More coverage: Westcliff University Warriors.
