K-State has many different club teams and activities for almost any sport you can think of. From baseball to motorsport, there is something for everyone. However, this past weekend, one club did something that no team had done in over 20 years.
Just four short years ago, K-State barely had a water skiing team. It had nine team members, including the team president, Conner O’Brien. Over his two years as team president, he helped make sure that the team stayed afloat and dedicated his collegiate career to rebuilding it. At the end of his four years, he passed the mantle on to Riley Cook.
Cook has been a key part of the team since his freshman year in 2023, being one of those nine team members, so he saw every era this team has gone through that all culminated in this historic season.
The team had members in all three events at five tournaments this fall. They opened up their campaign with a solid performance at the Saluki Showdown in Du Quoin, Illinois, and then followed it up by defeating in-state rival Kansas.
Dylan Andreson took first in slalom, trick and third in jump in the men’s division, while teammate Ariel Gish took first in slalom for the women’s division. This was the team’s first tournament win in its history.
This gave the whole team lots of momentum going into regionals in Cambridge, Iowa. The weather for regionals was rough, and as the day’s last jump approached, the team needed a miracle.
Men’s jumping had been a weak spot all season, and after all the preparation, the hope for national qualification rested on Anderson’s shoulders. On his last attempt, he hit the ramp and went flying 107 feet. The jump would be enough for a fourth-place finish, qualifying them for the National Collegiate Water Ski Association (NCWSA) Division II National Championships for the first time in 20 years.
“When they announced fifth place and said for the first time in 20 years I knew it was us … our whole team was ecstatic,” Cook said.
So it was off to California, where on the first day of nationals, three ‘Cats jumped personal bests. Cole Riley jumped 61 feet, and teammate Asher Mead jumped 50 feet in the men’s division.
Meanwhile, on the women’s side of day one, freshman Madelyn Mills jumped a personal best of 50 feet, but that wouldn’t be her only new PB. On days two and three, she scored 320 in trick on day two and ran 57 buoys on slalom.
“The best part was seeing the whole team come together to cheer everyone on,” Mills said. “It was just really exciting to be there and have school spirit and have fun.”
The team finished fifth in the Division II national championship. For this team, it was an amazing result, but for Cook, it was unlike anything else.
“Making nationals meant the world to me,” Cook said. “I’ve dedicated my life year-round to getting better at water skiing over my four collegiate years. … A year and a half ago, I told everyone that I was going to make nationals with this team. That was my goal.”
However, the team doesn’t want to stop after getting back to nationals.
“I think it’s really opened up everyone’s eyes to what’s truly possible,” Cook said. “In the coming years, if this team can continue using the systems that Conner and I have put in place, they could continue building and go compete for a national title.”
