Tars Waterski Team Compete at Division I Collegiate Championships

Comprised of only seven members, the Tars waterski team was the smallest team at the Division I Nationals Collegiate Waterski Championships in Arvin, California. A full team has at least five men and five women, and most teams typically have many more. Despite this disadvantage, the Tars ranked ninth overall. 

“Since I started in 1992, I have not seen such a small team compete in DI Nationals and finish in the top 10,” said Head Coach Marc Bedsole, “it speaks to the quality of collegiate athletes we have.”

The Tars were led by their women’s team, with a second place finish in slalom and a fourth place finish overall. In slalom, Michaela Cooper (Class of 2011) finished fifth out of 56 skiers, scoring four buoys at 35 feet off. Cooper was followed closely by teammate Geena Krueger (Class of 2012) who scored 1.5 buoys at 35 feet off placing her seventh. Krueger was strong in all three events with a tenth place finish overall for the Tars. Delfina Cuglievan (Class of 2013) finished fifteenth overall, Cooper was nineteenth, and Clementine Leger (Class of 2011) was twenty-third.

With only two male skiers, the men had an eleventh place finish in slalom. The Tars top score was by Grigoris Sarantis (Class of 2012) who tied his personal best with a score of two buoys at 38 feet off, giving him a sixth place finish in slalom. Overall, Sarantis finished twenty-third and William Shugart (Class of 2011) was thirty-seventh.

This was the last collegiate tournament of the season for the Tars; however, the ski season is not over for many of the team members. Five of the nine waterskiiers on the Tars roster will be headed to Chapala, Mexico to compete in the “Under 21 World Water Ski Championships”, held October 29 to November 1. The Tars will be representing five different countries. The five Tars invited to World’s are Geena Krueger (Germany), Grigoris Sarantis (Greece), Michaela Cooper (USA), Delfina Cuglievan (Peru), and Michele Briant (Australia). Results will be posted on waterskimexico.com. 

-Michaela Cooper (Class of 2011)