The UL Lafayette's Ragin' Cajuns Water Ski Team won the Division 1 crown at the National Collegiate Water Ski Association’s national championship.
The team bested 12 other teams during recent competition in Rio Linda, California.
Collecting national championships is becoming a habit for the Ragin’ Cajuns. The team is the best in the country for the seventh time since it was formed in 1988. It also earned national championships in 1995, 1997, 2003, 2005, 2010 and 2015.
The ÑÇÖÞ×ÔοÊÓƵ of Alabama finished second, followed by the ÑÇÖÞ×ÔοÊÓƵ of ÑÇÖÞ×ÔοÊÓƵ at Monroe, Florida Southern College and Rollins College at the 2019 championships.
In individual competition, Jaimee Bull set a pending National Collegiate Water Ski Association women’s slalom record in winning that event for the second straight year. (See her record-setting performance below.)
Edoardo Marenzi won the men’s tricks event.
Alice Bagnoli was second overall and Marie-Lou Moulanier was third overall in women’s competition. Conley Pinette placed second overall in men’s competition.
Bailey Austin was third in the women’s slalom and Griffin Stange was fifth in the men’s slalom. Guillaume Tetreault and Carlo Basic earned fourth and fifth place, respectively, in the men’s trick event. Bagnoli was fifth in the women’s trick event. Marylou Major and Moulanier placed third and fourth, respectively, in the women’s jump event. In the men’s jump event, Basic placed third and Rauchenwald was fifth.
The Ragin' Cajuns water ski team’s 22 members are from nine countries. The team is led by head coach Ryan Gonzales. Members are: team captain Harry Spavin (England); graduate assistant Taryn Grant (Canada); Austin (U.S.); Bagnoli (Italy); Basic (Austria); Bull (Canada); Arron Davies (England); Major (Canada); Marenzi (Italy); Ethan Mckinnon (Australia); Allie Moodie (U.S.); Moulanier (France); Kim Niederbaumer (Germany); Patrik Oehman (Sweden); Luke Outram (England); Pinette (Canada); Rauchenwald (Austria); Joseph Schouten (U.S.); Jonah Shaffer (Canada); Griffin Stange (U.S.); Parker Stange (U.S.) and Tetreault (Canada).
Teams must qualify to compete in the national championships based on their performances during tournaments leading up to the event. The Ragin’ Cajuns were undefeated this season.
Other teams in the Division 1 championship were: Alabama, Arizona State, Clemson, Florida Southern, the ÑÇÖÞ×ÔοÊÓƵ of ÑÇÖÞ×ÔοÊÓƵ at Lafayette, the ÑÇÖÞ×ÔοÊÓƵ of ÑÇÖÞ×ÔοÊÓƵ at Monroe, Ohio State, Rollins, San Diego State, Texas A&M, Western Washington and Wisconsin-La Crosse.
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