UL Lafayette’s Ragin’ Cajuns Water Ski Team Achieves Fourth Consecutive National Title

The University of Louisiana at Lafayette Ragin' Cajuns Water Ski Team has clinched its fourth straight Division I national title. This latest accomplishment marks their 10th national championship win, making them the record holders for the most national titles in the university's history.

Held from October 26th to 28th at the Syndicate Waterskis 2023 Collegiate Nationals in Zachary, Louisiana, the Ragin’ Cajuns dominated, cementing their undefeated status that has been maintained since 2019. The championship was notably absent in 2020 due to COVID-19 considerations.

Coming in close, the University of Louisiana at Monroe secured the second spot in the championships. They were closely followed by the University of Alabama, Florida Southern College, and Arizona State University.

Qualifying for the nationals requires exceptional performance in prior tournaments. The championship entailed three events each for men and women: slalom, tricks, and jump. Skiers vied for individual titles in these categories, as well as the coveted overall women's and men's championships, determined by aggregate scores across the three events.

UL Lafayette’s very own Kennedy Hansen emerged as the victor in the women's overall competition. Representing the men, Edoardo Marenzi seized the overall title. Other standout performances included Annemarie Wroblewski clinching the women's slalom event and Kennedy Hansen and Ali Garcia tying for second place. In the men's slalom, Arron Davies led the pack, followed by Florian Parth and Sean Kraus.

For tricks skiing, Hansen clinched second place in the women's category, while among the men, Marenzi and Dominic Kuhn secured the second and fifth spots, respectively. In the jump event, Hansen soared to first place for the women, accompanied by Lili Steiner and Lily Meade.

With a diverse team hailing from nine countries, the Ragin’ Cajuns Water Ski Team is a testament to international collaboration and talent. Spearheaded by head coach Ryan Gonzales and assistant coach Harry Spavin, with Parker Stange as team captain, the team's roster boasts talents from the U.S., Great Britain, Austria, Canada, Italy, New Zealand, Argentina, Germany, and Switzerland.

Congrats to the Ragin' Cajuns Water Ski team on another impressive national title.