Barton sparked another sterling performance by the U.S. Water Ski Team as preliminary action came to a close on the second day of competition at Isabella River. All five American competitors Friday will vie for medals Saturday, bringing to 11 the number of U.S. medal possibilities.

“I’m real pleased again,” said U.S. coach Jack Travers. “We need to crank it up a notch tomorrow but I feel confident we will.”

After Karissa Wedd of Canada broke Barton’s 1999 Pan Am Jump record of 150.5 by over two feet. Barton put together a pair of impressive leaps to quickly reclaim the mark. She cleared 155.14 on her second jump of the day and then soared to 157.15 on her third and final attempt.

“I am surprised because I went into the last jump planning to just get into the curve, cut late and pass but when I came across the wakes I felt really safe and strong and decided to go with it.”

Barton, a winner of Pan Am golds in the Jumps and Tricks four years ago, was coming off a disappointing third-place qualifying finish in the Tricks Thursday.

“I was able to get it out of my mind and just concentrate on this being a new day. I’ll get another chance Saturday to show what I can do in the Tricks,” Barton said.

Pan Am Games newcomer Regina Jaquess of Suwanne, Ga. continued to impress with a jump of 150.26 for a third-place prelim finish. The 19-year-old collegiate had top qualifying performances in the Slalom and Tricks Thursday.

Russell Gay of Winter Garden, Fla. fell just short of erasing the Men’s Tricks Pan Am record. His score of 10,490 points was just 70 points short of the mark.

“I was wobbly in practice on Wednesday but I felt good today,” said Gay. “I feel a lot of confidence going into the finals. I should have had 11,700. I lost a trick at the beginning and at the end but that’s okay. There’s still tomorrow. ”

Canada’s Jaret Llewellyn’s came on late to place first with 10,700 points and set a new Pan Am mark.

Freddy Krueger of Winter Garden, Fla. had his best jump ruled a fall because of slack in his line when he landed but still was second in Men’s Jumps with 207.02. The ruling did not hurt his seeding because his last mark of 211.56 was still behind Llewellyn’s top jump of 213.58.

Krueger clinched his third final when he posted a personal best 6,870 points in the Men’s Tricks, finishing seventh.

All six water ski finals will be held Saturday starting at 10 a.m. EST.

Friday’s prelim results:

Women’s Jumps – 1, Rhoni Barton, Orlando, Fla., 157.15 feet (Pan American Games record. Old record, 152.89, Wedd Karissa, Canada, 2003). 2, Wedd Karissa, Canada, 152.89. 3, Regina Jaquess, Suwanne, Ga., 150.26. 4, Breane Wagner, Canada, 140.09. 5, Maria Luisa Botero Villa, Columbia, 139.11. 6, Natalia Hernandez Herrera, Columbia, 108.92. 7, Tiare Miranda Arellano, Chile, 86.29. 8, Mariana Ramirez Filsinger, pass.

Men’s Jumps – 1, Jaret Llewellyn, Canada, 213.58 feet. 2, Freddy Krueger, Winter Garden, Fla., 207.02. 3, Ryan Dodd, Canada, 188.65. 4, Javier Julio, Argentina, 186.68. 5, Rodrigo Miranda Arellano, Chile, 182.09. 6, Esteban Siegert Castaeda, Columbia, 180.77. 7, Francisco Miranda Arellano, Chile, 174.21. 8, Arturo Torres Medina, Mexico, 173.23. Did not qualify for finals: Arturo Nelson Rueda, Mexico, 166.39. Thiago Gerin, Brazil, 163.06. Martin Lopez Filloy, Argentina, 161.42. Diego Delgado Martinez, Columbia, 102.03.

Men’s Tricks – 1, Jaret Llewellyn, Canada, 10,700 points. 2, Russell Gay, Winter Park, Fla., 10, 490. 3, Javier Julio, Argentina, 9,250. 4, Ryan Dodd, Canada, 8,830. 5, Jorge Ignacio Renosto, Argentina, 8,280. 6, Serio Font Ramirez, Mexico, 6,390. 7, Freddy Krueger, Winter Garden, Fla., 6,870. 8, Rodrigo Miranda Arellano, Chile, 6,750. Did not qualify for finals: Nicholas Fuldauer, Brazil, 5,160. Arturo Torres Medina, Mexico, 4,260. Diego Delgado Martinez, Columbia, 3,920. Esteban Siegert Astaneda, Columbia, 3,720. Thiago Gerin, Brazil, 2,150. Christian Safie Sittenfeld, Guatemala, 380.