Three Days, One Community: Recapping Syndicate 2026 NCWSA Nationals

The nation’s top collegiate water ski teams gathered at Bell Acqua Lakes in Rio Linda, California, October 15–17 for the Syndicate 2026 NCWSA National Championships. Over three days, athletes competed in all three events: slalom, trick, and jump, while celebrating the camaraderie and team spirit that make collegiate water skiing unique. This year’s championships marked the first fall season following the Midwest Split, with teams representing a total of five regions instead of the previous four.

Team Results

The University of Louisiana at Lafayette claimed its 7th consecutive Division I National Championship, a streak that began at Bell Acqua in 2019, bringing its total to 13 national titles. The University of Louisiana Monroe finished second, followed by Florida Southern College in third.

In Division II, Auburn University captured its first national championship since 2005, followed by the University of Wisconsin–La Crosse in second and San Diego State University in third.

View the fill tournament results at WaterskiResults.

D1 Results

Placement	Team	Slalom	Trick	Jump	Total Points
1	University of Louisiana Lafayette	1	2	1	12,750
2	University of Louisiana Monroe	3	1	3	12,455
3	Florida Southern College	4	3	2	12,205
4	Rollins College	2	4	7	9,945
5	Arizona State University	5	5	4	9,180
6	University of Alabama	6	8	9	6,830
7	Clemson University	7	7	8	6,580
8	University of Wisconsin Madison	9	6	5	6,555
9	Texas A&M University	8	9	6	6,165
10	Purdue University	10	12	12	4,760
11	Ohio State University	12	11	10	4,685
12	Miami University	11	10	11	4,665

D2 Results

Placement	Team	Slalom	Trick	Jump	Total Points
1	Auburn University	1	2	5	11,330
2	University of Wisconsin-La Crosse	5	1	3	10,980
3	San Diego State University	3	4	6	9,765
4	University of Cincinnati	7	5	2	9,705
5	Kansas State University	2	6	8	9,635
6	Texas State University	9	9	1	9,010
7	Michigan State University	10	3	7	8,680
8	UC Davis	4	10	9	8,455
9	University of Kansas	8	8	10	8,215
10	California Polytechnic State University	6	11	12	8,015
11	Southern Illinois University	12	7	4	7,955
12	Western Washington University	11	12	13	6,765
13	University of Texas	13	13	11	5,430

Spirit Award

Beyond the competition, teams showcased the enthusiasm and camaraderie that make collegiate water skiing special. Congratulations to Texas A&M University who gave it their all with the themes of: Chattahooch-ski, going bananas for Bell Acqua, and all out Aggie. Cheers to San Diego State University who earned spirit award runner up with their body paint and endless energy.

2026 Hall of Fame Inductees

• Mike Adams: A ULM founder and visionary behind the 1st collegiate nationals.
• Will Asher: Ragin’ Cajun alumni, former Men’s Slalom record holder and multiple time champion.

Thank you!

The NCWSA extends a huge thank-you to everyone who made the Syndicate 2026 NCWSA National Championships possible!

Congratulations to Victor Moissan (SAC), recipient of the Phil Chase Outstanding Volunteer Award, and Kurt Rotman (Great Lakes), recipient of the Bill Stevenson Outstanding Driver Award. Special thanks to Kelvin Kelm (HOF Class of 2023) for making our webcast happen year after year, along with our judges, scorers, officials, volunteers, coaches, and athletes.

We are grateful to Bell Acqua for hosting. The members of the Bell Acqua community which made everything possible includes: the Bell Acqua Home Owners Association, Mike Todd, Ty & Alec Vaio, Steve & Nikol Grubbs, and Richelle Muhlitner.

Finally, thank you to our sponsors: HO Syndicate, MasterCraft, Masterline, Action Horizons, Superior Boat Rentals & Sales, and California Ski Ranch. Your generosity and dedication help make collegiate water skiing possible. Thank you for supporting our athletes and growing our sport!