2018 Award Nominees: Athlete of the Year

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Claire Hansel – Erin Vespestad – Hanna Straltsova
Jaimee Bull – Jean Klochko Bull – Nikki Weber – Siani Oliver

Claire Hansel, Ohio State University

Claire spent the summer bettering herself and spending countless hours on the water working at Swerve Water Sports Center in Tennessee. She constantly skis well, and gives her friends and on-the-water rivals solid competition. She stood on all 3 podiums and the overall podium weekend after weekend this season and led her team to a Division 1 Nationals bid again this year. I wish I could be as cool as Claire.

Claire was the three event Team Midwest region overall women’s runner up.

Exemplary on and off the water. A fantastic leader, team mate and friend.

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Erin Vespestad, Iowa State University

Erin has been a huge part of the Iowa State team. Iowa State was never known for our women’s team, and had always been carried by our men’s team, but that changed when Erin came around. She is a 22′ off skier, she tricks upwards of 500 points, and can jump 50 ft+. She is a top 5 Competitor at every single Midwest tournament for slalom and usually overall. She has changed our women’s team, and has been an extremely talented 3-event skier. She obviously excels in slalom and came in as a very talented slalom skier, but she has worked hard and picked up the other two events and has been an overall contender at every tournament Iowa State University attended. Not only is she extremely talented, but she was one of Iowa State’s only skiers who grew up in the 3-event world so she has taken a lot of time to help coach us newbies. When I started as a freshman I couldn’t get more than 2 buoys, I just finished my senior year and I’m consistently running into 34mph, and I owe a lot of that to Erin for always helping me out and being there to coach me. She is an incredible athlete and teammate, and has worked her ass off for the team.

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Hanna Straltsova, University of Louisiana at Monroe

Hanna Straltsova put together another outstanding year of competition in collegiate water skiing while representing the University of Louisiana at Monroe. Hanna was crowned the women’s jump and overall champion at the Connelly Skis 2018 NCWSA Nationals tournament.

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Jaimee Bull, University of Louisiana at Lafayette

Jaimee Bull is a Freshman at the University of Louisiana at Lafayette studying Mechanical Engineering. Being so young, Jaimee has come into the collegiate water ski scene with a bang, winning the slalom event at her very first collegiate nationals. She ran a score of 2.5@39′ off, almost tying the collegiate record in her first college semester! No doubt she will be pushing the boundaries, and maybe even breaking the record next semester, still in her freshman year.

This year, Jaimee helped her team place 2nd at the 2018 Connelly Skis NCWSA Nationals. She did this by skiing on the water, but also by cheering and encouraging her teammates off the water.

Collegiate skiing is like nothing else out there and takes some adjustments to get used to. Jaimee has proved that she can ski with the best of them and cheer and support like the best of them. When she is not skiing, she is always there to encourage her teammates and cheer them on. She always has a positive attitude no matter how she skied on the water. She is a great sport, always encouraging skiers on other teams, and congratulating them.

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Jean Klochko Bull, Michigan State University

Jean has improved incredibly over her last two years, and won Division 2 women’s overall at the Connelly Skis 2018 NCWSA Nationals. Jean has been studying her butt off for a double major in Spanish and Mechanical Engineering, and she is graduating this fall. Jean just started competitively skiing last year! She is very hard working and very smart.

Jean had a very good final season of her collegiate water ski career. She got a PB in at least 1 event, many times 2 events, at every tournament. And she ended the season as Division 2 Nationals woman’s overall champion.

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Nikki Weber, Missouri State University

Her improvements and dedication from freshman year to her senior season are incredible. She was never a part of 3 event skiing before college. She’s become one of the better women skiers in the Midwest during collegiate and summer skiing. She also works at almost every tournament judging and being chief safety.

Nikki just finished her senior season at Missouri State, and through her four years there to now she has gone from never skiing before to one of the top skiers in the region, having two years of collegiate skiing undefeated in jump, and this year went undefeated in Overall. In four years she went from jumping 45 to 93 feet; tricking on two skis, to a solid trick skier with 2 full trick passes on a single ski. In slalom she started as someone who ran the classic Jalom passes to now able to run into short line. Nikki lives and breathes collegiate skiing, and has more passion for the sport than anyone. She has worked countless hours on and off the water to get where she is today as a skier.

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Siani Oliver, University of Louisiana at Monroe

Siani Oliver is an amazing athlete who loves collegiate skiing, and is a great representative of the NCWSA. 2018 is a calendar year, so it is fitting to nominate someone that skied not only throughout our fall season but also skied in our spring season’s prestigious All-Stars tournament.

Siani went into the ULM hosted 2018 NCWSA All-Stars tournament in May as the reigning champion in the All-Stars’ slalom event. At the event she skied to a score of 1 buoy at 38′ off the line, for a second place finish just 1 buoy off the lead. In the fall season, Siani bested her All-Stars’ score at both South Central Regionals and the 2018 NCWSA Nationals. At regionals, she won the event and tied the NCWSA women’s slalom record with a score of 3 buoys at 39.5′ off. At Nationals, battling some fierce conditions she was one of three skiers into 39.5′ off. Her score of 1.5 buoys at 39.5′ off was just 1 buoy off the lead, and earned her third place in the event.

Don’t hold the fact she skis one event against her, in fact it may make ULM a better overall team because of it. When Siani is not skiing, she is in full cheer mode and puts just as much effort into her cheers and spirit as her slalom skiing. Additionally, without her elite slalom scores another team may have claimed the championship this year as the ULM team won by a mere 60 points. Between her skiing at All-Stars, South Central Regionals, and Nationals, her team contributions, and helping organize/host All-Stars, Siani’s effort embodies what makes an outstanding NCWSA Athlete of the Year!

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