Today was a day to remember for Ragin Cajun athletics. The Ragin Cajun water ski team took home the Division I National Championship at the 37th Collegiate Water Ski National Championships, taking place this past weekend at the Lakes at Cypress Hill in Cypress, Texas. The Cajuns have won their first title since 2010 and the program's sixth since their inception in 1988, tallying 12,845 total points. Florida Southern College finished second, their highest finish ever at the Nationals, scoring 11,965 points. Four-time defending champion Louisiana-Monroe, which tallied 11,375 points, placed third. Alabama finished fourth with 11,265 points and Rollins College was fifth with 8,720 points. This tournament is annually organized by the Alabama and Texas A&M water skiing programs with the help of the Lakes at Cypress Hill Ski Team. Each year, there are 12 teams in D1 and 12 teams in D2, a national champion crowned in each. Awards are handed out in a multitude of categories, including slalom, tricks and jumping based on athletes' placements within their division. Overall titles were awarded in each division to athletes competing in all three events. Athletes finishing in the top-five in each event of slalom, tricks, jumping and overall in Division 1 earned All-American honors.
UL won every team event, men's and women's slalom, trick, and jump, a first in championship history. Winners for UL individually included:
Taryn Grant- women's slalom (5-1/2 buoys at 38 feet off) and overall (1,675 points)
Christopher Wharton- men's jumping (171 feet)
Other results:
Giannina Bonnemann, Slalom 3rd- 3-1/2 buoys at 38 feet off
Dane Mechler and Benjamin Stadlbaur, Slalom T4th - 3-1/2 buoys at 39 feet off
Giannina Bonnemann, Women's Jumping 2nd - 147 feet
Taryn Grant, Women's Jumping 3rd - 145 feet
Charlotte Wharton, Women's Jumping 5th - 137 feet
Team Results:
Men's slalom team, 1st - 2210 points
Women's slalom team, 1st - 2255 points
Men's jump team, 1st - 2020 points, 3 skiers in the top 10
Women's jump, 1st - 2150 points, all five jumpers in the top 10
Men's trick, 1st - 2095 points
Women's trick, 1st- 2215 points
Congratulations to the 2015 D1 Water ski National Champions, your very own Louisiana's Ragin Cajuns!