JERSEYVILLE - Will Roberts and Brett Stackpole are literally on top of the world in their sport - water skiing.
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This past weekend, Will and Brett competed in the Junior U.S. Open Championships. Will has been named to the U.S. team to go to Spain on a six-person team against 25 other countries. Brett has qualified to ski in the world competition as an independent.
Jeff Roberts, Will’s father, said Will placed first in the International Boys Jump (Under age 17) this past weekend.
“Will jumped 174 in the preliminary round Saturday and 173 in the finals on Sunday, winning by 9’,” he said. “Brett placed fifth with his longest jump of 153’, but didn’t qualify for finals. The third-place finisher was from Jacksonville, IL., a close friend of Brett and Will. His name is Jonathan Leutz and he jumped 161’.”
Will and Brett have been friends for as long as they can remember and grew up skiing on the same lake - Lake Richard - since they were about four years old.
Will said the top world ranking is awesome but what he enjoys is the competition.
“It is exciting,” he said of the recognition he has received. “I have loved skiing, watching and jumping since I was little. I have always taken skiing seriously and try to do it every day during the season. I ski on a private lake. Most of the time, I ski with my neighbor, Brett, then we look at the video for 20 minutes, then go back and ski for an hour or two. The other conditioning I do is weightlifting and tennis. The tennis helps my cardiovascular fitness.”
Brett agreed that he has been a skiing partner with Will for as long as he can remember. He said he also has the same passion for skiing as his partner.
“One of my goals this summer has been to jump in the 170-foot mark,” Brett said. “My other goal was to make the Junior World team and travel to Spain. It is pretty exciting to be traveling to Spain. I am looking forward to tournaments.”
Will Roberts and Brett Stackpole 2018 At A Glance
Current World ranking in Under 17 Jump (must be 17 or younger in 2018): Will #1, Brett #7
Current Rank in the U.S. Under 18 Jump (Will #1, Brett #3)
Will was invited to ski in the Jr. Masters Water Ski tournament (most prestigious tournament in the world)
Invited to Ski in U.S. Open (7 countries represented) Will is defending champion (June 23 & 24)
Both will ski in Junior World Championships in Madrid, Spain, 25 Countries compete. Will was selected to represent the U.S. on its team and Brett will ski as an independent August 2-5
Both have been invited to ski in the Malibu Open (2 of only 3 junior skiers invited)
Both will ski in U.S. National Championships in Wichita, Kan., August 8 & 9
Will Roberts Skier Biography
Major Accomplishments
Records
Boys 2 (Under age 14) National Jump Record 144’, July, 2016
All 3 Midwest Region Boys 3 (Age 14-17) Jump Records (Championship, In-Region and Any Location) 2017
All 3 Midwest Region B2 Jump Records (Championship, In-Region and Any Location) 2016
Midwest Region B2 Overall Record (2016)
Illinois State B2 Jump and Overall Records (2016)
Championships
- Jr. U.S. Open Champion (2017)
- Malibu Jr. Open Champion (2017)
- 3-Time National B2 Jump Champion (2014, 2015, 2016)
- AWSA B2 Ranking List Champion Jump (2015 and 2016)
- Midwest Region B2 Overall Champion (2016)
- Midwest Region B3 Jump Champion (2017)
- 2-Time Midwest Region B2 Jump Champion (2015, 2016)
- Midwest Region B2 Slalom Champion (2016)
- Illinois State B3 Jump Champion (2017)
- 3-Time Illinois B2 State Jump Champion (2014, 2015, 2016)
- Illinois State Slalom Champion (2016)
Other Notables
- Jeff McCullough Memorial Scholarship Award – Best Midwest Regionals
- Performance in Overall for B2, B3, G2 & G3 (2016)
- Selected to National Jr. Dev. Team (2015-2017)
- Selected Midwest Jr. Elite Team (2013-2017)
- Selected to National All-Star Team (2014-2017)
- Longest Recorded Jump in History by Age:
Year Skier Age Distance (Feet)
2010 7 60
2011 8 77
2012 9 98
2015 12 131
2016 13 144 (B2 Division)
2017 14 170 (Longest on 5’ Ramp)
(Second Best in history ages 10 & 11) - Ranking List Second Place Overall B2 (2016)
- Nationals Second Place Overall B2 (2016)
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