SAN MARCOS, Texas (October 13, 2024) - Despite not skiing in an official event since September 14, the waterski team found plenty of success at the National Collegiate Water Ski Association National Championship this weekend. Senior
Pato Font earned his third straight men's tricks gold medal, while freshman
Charlie Ross had the top score in men's slalom.
NCWSA Full Results
Font came into the tricks event as the two-time defending champion and collegiate record holder. He did not disappoint in his final appearance as a collegiate skier, claiming the gold medal with a run of 7,260 points. The point total equals his effort from last fall's championship, which at the time was a collegiate record for a tricks run.
Topher Hummel (2,880, 20th),
Patrick Payne (2,420, 23rd),
Pablo Font Corona (1,660, 27th), and Ross (1,190, 31st) were the other Tars to compete in men's tricks.
Freshman
Hannah Stopnicki headlined the Rollins effort in women's tricks, capturing a bronze medal finish with a run of 3,710 points, just ten points behind second-place.
Martina Font (23rd) and
Alex Baldwin (52nd) also performed for the Tars.
The weekend's most impressive effort came in men's slalom, where Rollins found themselves sweeping the podium. Ross, seeing his first collegiate championship action, worked two buoys at 41 off to earn the top spot. He was the only athlete to reach 40+ off. Teammates
Niki Attensam and
Jaime Palomino tied for second with matching efforts of four buoys at 39.5 off.
Kamil Belmrah joined them in the top-ten, finishing tied for eighth with 2.5 buoys at 39.5 off.
Will Bruzzese rounded out the Tar effort with a 20th place finish.
Peke Angulo was the top slalom skier for Rollins in the women's division, placing 25th. She was joined by
Martina Font (28th) and Baldwin (57th).
Five Tars jumped in the men's event with Payne earning the best finish at 21st with a flight of 121 feet. Hummel was right behind him in 24th (112 feet), followed by
Anthony Shelton (27th, 93 feet),
Jerome Verbaet (32nd, 86 feet), and
Grayson Arnold (54th).
Paige Peshina,
Martina Font, and Baldwin each jumped on the women's side.
As a team, Rollins finished 6th overall, the eleventh consecutive year finishing in the Top 10.
