Last year, we got into our time machine and found an article on the very first NCWSA Nationals (1979). As we approach the Connelly Skis 40th NCWSA Nationals we are hopping back into our time machine to explore the 10th, 20th (bonus article on Parrish Slalom Record), and 30th (bonus article on Storm Selsor) NCWSA Nationals tournaments!
The following article was originally written and published in the The Water Skier! The Water Skier is the official magazine of USA Water Ski. The original article was imported word for word to be republished on NCWSA.com with permission from USA Water Ski and The Water Skier.
California Dreamin’
For two contenders from Florida, the NCWSA crown was elusive as ever.
Text & Photos by John Baker
It was about as close as anyone has ever come to upsetting Northeast Louisiana University (NLU [ULM]) for the national title. I’m talking, of course, about the 1988 National Collegiate Water Ski Association (NCWSA) Championships. The California skiers had a slight edge considering the tournament, held Oct 14-15, was in Sacramento and on a familiar site, Bell Acqua. However, the two schools from Florida—namely University of Central Florida (UCF) and Rollins College—were the only teams besides NLU likely to have a shot at the coveted national title this year. But for those who dreamed of winning against the living legend known as NLU, the dream will sit on the shelf until next fall: when the NLU Indians will seek their tenth consecutive win.
It was about as close as anyone has ever come. Nine teams were in contention for the national title after Kansas State was disqualified for violation entry procedures. Penn State, representation the Eastern Region, sent a men’s squad only and was not in the running for team placement.
Rollins got off to a good start by winning women’s slalom, led by Kim Laskoff with 4 1/4 buoys on the 12m line and Helena Kjellander with 3 at 12m. Kristi Overton and Heather Maciello, both of UCR, finished third and fourth.
But Rollins’ lead was short-lived. As a team, UCF won men’s slalom, the second event. And what really counts in collegiate competition is the combined score for both the men and women squads. Thus team depth, and a penchant for unfaltering performance when the heat is on, found NLU in the lead when men’s slalom was finished. Brain Dulgar, of Sacramento State, which hosted the tournament, scored 3 at 12m to win the men’s slalom individual title.
But the two Florida teams came back in trick skiing to show that they really were serious about winning a national title. The dream was now becoming a real possibility. It was Overton, of UCF, who scored 3,520 points to win women’s tricks (only one 20-second pass in NCWSA competition) and who would later win the women’s overall honors. It was Rollins College, though, who had the team depth—Helena Kjellander, Britt Larsen, Tawn Larsen, and Michelle Mason—to place four skiers in the top five and win the team title for women’s tricks. That put Rollins back in the overall lead—just 40 points ahead of NLU.
Then Justin Anderson of UCF scored 4,130 to win men’s tricks, helping his school win the tricks title for men. But again, the combined score of both the men and women squads is what counts in collegiate skiing. When both of the trick events were over, Rollins was out in front by more than 200 points and UCF had advanced to second, 10 points ahead of NLU.
Rollins has a strong women’s team while UCF has several outstanding men and women. Perhaps at some point, envious of the NLU line-up, the coaches for Rollins and UCF wished that they could combine their men and women squads to achieve parity. But when women’s and men’s jumping began—the final two events of the tournament—even that tactic would have been too little, too late. The Rollins skiers knew that their 200-point lead was not insurmountable and NLU proved that as soon as the women jumpers took to the water.
Overton jumped a respectable 115 feet for UCF. But so did Lisa Fitzgerald of NLU, and in NCWSA competition there are no run-offs for ties. Fitzgerald’s tie for first was backed up by three other NLU women jumpers placing in the top six. When women’s jumping was over, NLU trailed Rollins by only 15 points in the overall race. The dream was already fading for UCF as well, now over 200 points back and in third.
It was about as close as anyone has ever come. That is, until men’s jumping. Billy Allen and Sacramento State, one of the Western Region’s most talented collegiate skiers, jumped 158 feet to win the men’s individual title. His teammate Jason Paredes went for 149 feet, good for second place and the men’s overall title. But with the help of skiers such as Danny Sheedy and Zack Morgan, NLU placed three among the top seven jumpers to win the men’s team title. As a team, UCF finished second in jumping, Rollins third.
In the final event—when the game is played for keeps—NLU moved ahead by nearly 300 points to reaffirm its preeminence in collegiate skiing. The UCF skiers rallied to finish second, with Rollins in third. For the skiers from Florida, the dream of a national title had faded. And NLU proved once again that anyone who wants a national title must earn it.
It was about as close as anyone has ever come. And while close was not enough, you can bet someone will be dreaming of a rematch next fall.
Permission for Republishing
This article has been republished from an issue of The Water Skier, and is posted on NCWSA.com with permission from USA Water Ski and The Water Skier. The Water Skier is the official magazine of USA Water Ski.
- Holiday Surprise: Back to Bennett’s for 2023 Collegiate Nationals! - December 22, 2022
- 2022 NCWSA Awards – Call for Nominations! - October 14, 2022
- NCWSA Nationals Webcast is Live! - October 13, 2022
You must be logged in to post a comment.