GROVELAND, Fla. (September 14, 2024) - The Rollins waterski team saw their first action of the 2024 season in the annual showdown against Florida Southern on Saturday at Sunset Lakes in Groveland.
The Tars captured team honors in men's slalom, led by freshman
Charlie Ross who skied a half buoy at 41 off, earning a score of 114.5 and 100 points for the Tars. Second place went to fellow freshman
Jaime Palomino, whose top run was one buoy at 39.5 off.
Pato Font took sixth,
Jerome Verbaet took eighth, and
Topher Hummel finished ninth in the "A" group.
On the women's side,
Hannah Stopnicki had the best effort for the Tars with a pass of four buoys at 32 off for a score of 88, good for fourth. Right behind her was
Martina Font, who managed five buoys at 28 off to finish fifth.
Alex Baldwin took seventh place in Group A.
As expected, Rollins also scored the highest in tricks, thanks to fantastic efforts from
Pablo Font Corona and Hummel. Font Corona was the top tricker on the water Saturday, posting a score of 5,870 in a phenomenal run. Hummel captured second place with his display that landed a score of 3,150.
Patrick Payne finished fifth in the group with a score of 2,300.
Pato Font, two-time defending national champion, finished in eighth place with a score of 1,690.
For the ladies, it was Stopnicki once again leading the charge for Rollins. She tied for second-place after a run of 4,190, matching Southern's Olivia Chute.
Martina Font and Baldwin also saw action for the Tars in tricks. Aaliyah Yoong Hanifah earned first overall with a score of 4,580.
Florida Southern held down the top three spots in men's jumps. Payne was the top aerial artist for Rollins, landing 119 feet for fourth place. Hummel was only four feet behind him with a 115, earning fifth.
Anthony Shelton, Verbaet, and
Grayson Arnold also jumped for Rollins. The women did not have any jumps on Saturday.
Hummel finished second in the overall individual standings thanks to his ninth-place finish in slalom, second-place finish in tricks, and fifth-place finish in jump. Verbaet was the only other Tar to compete in all three events.
A number of other Tars ... including
Dylan Trask, Arnold, and
Robert Craig ... competed in the "B" division. Trask earned the top mark for the Tars in slalom with a score of 85.5, while
Anthony Shelton was the top B tricker.
The next event for Rollins will be the SAC Regional. This year's event will take place at Whitestone Lakes in Talking Rock, Georgia on September 28th and 29th.
