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Risto2012 Collegiate Water SKi National Championships
Warhawks Win 24th national title since the event’s inception in 1979
By Scott Atkinson/USA WATER SKI
Team ULM celebrates after claiming their second consecutive NCWSA national title. Photo: johnmommerphotography.com
POLK CITY, Fla. – The University of Louisiana-Monroe water ski team won the Division 1 national title at the 34th Collegiate Water Ski National Championships, Oct. 18-20, at Tri-Lakes in Zachary, La. The Warhawks tallied 12,475 points in winning their second consecutive national title and 24th title in the history of the event. The University of Louisiana-Lafayette finished second, scoring 11,585 points. The competition included 12 teams in Division 1 and 11 teams in Division 2. National team champions were declared in both divisions. Individual medals for slalom, tricks and jumping were awarded based on athletes’ placements within their division. Overall titles were awarded in each division to athletes competing in all three events.
University of Cincinnati skiers root on their team. Photo: johnmommerphotography.com
ASU’s Taylor Woolsey’s first collegiate nationals competition lands her in sixth place. Photo: johnmommerphotography.com
The Division 1 field was comprised of Louisiana-Monroe, Florida Southern, Wisconsin-La Crosse, Arizona State, Louisiana-Lafayette, Alabama, Rollins, Purdue, Miami (Ohio), Kansas, Cincinnati and Iowa State. Florida Southern finished third with 10,865 points. Alabama was fourth with 10,400 points and Rollins placed fifth with 8,175 points. Athletes winning individual national titles in Division 1 were: Alabama’s Caroline Hensley (Hixson, Tenn.), women’s slalom (5-1/2 buoys at 38 feet off); Louisiana-Monroe’s Adam Pickos (Santa Rosa Beach, Fla.), men’s tricks (6,060 points); Florida Southern’s Lauren Morgan (Odessa, Fla.), women’s jumping (145 feet); Florida Southern’s K.C. Wilson (Winter Springs, Fla.) and Louisiana- Lafayette’s Benjamin Stadlbaur (Geneva, Switzerland), men’s slalom (tie; 3 buoys at 39-1/2 feet off); Florida Southern’s Manon Costard (Marseille, France), women’s tricks (3,390 points) and overall (1,660 points); and Louisiana-Monroe’s Martin Kolman (Prague, Czech Republic), men’s jumping (176 feet) and overall (1,710 points).
ULL’s Benjamin Stadlbaur tied with FSC’s KC WIlson in Division 1 slalom with a score of 3 at 39 1/2 off. Photo: johnmommerphotography.com
ULM’s Maddison McCammon jumped 111 feet for an 11th place finish in women’s division 1 jump. Photo: johnmommerphotography.com
ULM’s Tyler Scott placed sixth in the division 1 slalom event with a score of 4 1/2 at 38 off. photo: johnmommerphotography.com
The Division 2 field was comprised of Michigan, Clemson, California-Davis, Texas State, San Diego State, North Carolina, Cal Poly, Chico State, Texas, Texas A&M and Grand Valley State. Clemson won the Division 2 title, scoring 6,890 points. Texas State finished second with 6,545 points. Michigan (5,870 points), Grand Valley State (5,550 points) and California-Davis (4,475 points) pounded out the top-five placements. Athletes winning individual national titles in Division 2 were: San Diego State’s Robert Morris (San Diego, Calif.), men’s slalom (3-1/2 buoys at 35 feet off), tricks (2,650 points), jumping (136 feet) and overall (1,260 points); Texas State’s Amanda Stevenson (Conroe, Texas), women’s slalom (1-1/2 buoys at 32 feet off), jumping (63 feet) and overall (1,150 points); and North Carolina’s Kelsie Mitchell (Elizabeth City, N.C.), women’s tricks (1,560 points).
Photo: johnmommerphotography.com
Manon Costard represented FSC well with a victory in tricks and overall and second place finishes in jump and slalom. Photo: johnmommerphotography.com
Off-the-water entertainment — collegiate nationals style. Photo: johnmommerphotography.com
Clemon’s Paul Kulig helped his team secure their division 2 NCWSA title with consistent skiing in every event, and plenty of school spirit to back it up. Photo: johnmommerphotography.com
The National Collegiate 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 in the United States.
