Congratulations to all the nominees for our annual awards! Check out the nominations below for NCWSA Outstanding Leader of the Year, NCWSA Athlete of the Year, and NCWSA Team of the year! Winners will be invited to the annual USA Water Ski & Wake Sports banquet and awards reception that will be held in Florida in January of 2020. Tickets are also publicly available for the event.
Voting is live through November 29, 2019 at 11:59pm PST!
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Female Nominees
| Abbi Grathwohl | Anjelica Werning | Ashley Stevens | Libby Burroughs |
| Maggie Peplow | Mallin Blaxall | Nellie Roberts | Rachel Walgenbach |
| Samantha Hess | Summer Lawson |
Male Nominees
Abbi Grathwohl
University of Alabama
Abbi, as the University of Alabama team president, kept our team together and focused even when we had difficult situations this year. No matter what it was, her positive attitude and optimism helped the team. Not only did she lead off the water, but also she set the tone for our team this nationals. She was first off the dock and tied her collegiate PB and got our team off to a hot start. Throughout the whole season she was there for everyone on the team whether they had skied great or had an off day. Abbi Grathwohl is one of the greatest people that makes this sport what it is today.
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Anjelica Werning
Western Michigan University
Anjelica Werning (Anj) deserves female outstanding leader of the year the best because of her dedication towards not only growing this great sport but also growing our team as a whole. Anj pulled people behind our boat all year, it didn’t matter if the person was brand new to the sport or they have been doing since they were young, she was always willing to pull people. If that meant getting up at 6:30am and pulling 1 person Anj was all for it. On top of her pulling people 24/7, if someone else was pulling skiers she was always wanting to be in the boat teaching people new things- big and small. Her dedication for our team continued when we had trouble putting in a slalom course on our lake because of high waters all summer. She went out of her way to find places nearby Kalamazoo that had a jump or ski course. After pulling trick skiers all day she would jump in her car and head to another lake with some teammates to get the most amount of people we could on a course daily.
Outside of our Western Michigan Waterski team, she continued her passion through the sport attending Midwest Regionals and nationals in which she cheered on Team Midwest as they competed in California. Anj’s team spirit was never missed at a tournament as I can’t remember a time she missed a dock start as the Woman’s Captain of our team. Every time a skier went off the dock she had veins coming out of her neck every time she showed off her team spirit. After everything she does for our team and the time dedicated to others, Anj still managed to be the number 1 skier at The Great Lakes Conference Championships in Van Wert, Ohio.
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Ashley Stevens
Clemson University
Clemson University skier Ashley Stevens has selflessly spent countless hours with her team, on the SAC committee, the AAC council, as well as leading by example with her own personal goals in the ski community. The impacts of her leadership include:
With a new policy change by Clemson University in efforts to limit their liability, Ashley, being President, led the Clemson Watersports club & team (>100 members) through a year of structural change to be its own independent entity, including defining officer/committees job roles, establishing governance documents, processes, etc. Her foresight of an Alumni platform has also positioned the club with the ability to offer scholarships in the future.
As the Athletes Advisory Council Co-Chair, Ashley has been involved in the discussions on how to make the structure of the NCWSA nationals different to increase the competitive nature. She is also a part of the conversations to ensure rules are clear, understandable, and advantageous to skiers. She approaches discussions from a skier’s point of view and always keeps the skiers best interest at the forefront.
She is also the SAC Tournament Coordinator. She is always willing to guide and mentor each tournament director as they are organizing their individual events. Her wealth of information, as well as being very resourceful, is highly respected.
One of Ashley’s goals this year was to make the SAC Alumni tournament an annual event to generate and keep Alumni active with collegiate skiers. She put her words into action as tournament director and Alumni skiers came from all up and down the east coast to participate. Local skiers and potential collegiate skiers jumped in and skied, too. It was a great success with many personal best performances. Everyone is looking forward to next year.
An ongoing initiative of Ashley’s is encouraging her teammates to obtain USA Water Ski officials ratings. She’s very proud that the Clemson team has 4 scorers, 2 safety, 3 to 4 judges and even a tech controller. The team itself is almost self-sufficient enough to run a tournament alone. For anyone that coordinates tournaments, you know how much money is saved when you can rely on your own for the workload.
Ashley’s been highly motivated in achieving her own ratings as well. Lead by example as I say. She did a ton of traveling, to over 18 tournaments across 6 states in 2019, and saw many new tournament sites in striving for her ratings. I got to tag along on a few of them. She skied and officiated at every tournament she went to. Not many can say they have credit from 3 national tournaments (All-Stars, AWSA Nationals, NCWSA Nationals), 3 regional tournaments (AWSA, NCWSA, SAC Alumni) and a state tournament. Not only was she the tournament director but she was the driver for a new W5 SC State record! All in 2019! She is now a Regular Driver, Regular Judge, and Senior Scorer! Her leadership and contributions to the water ski community has a broad reach from local to regional and national level.
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Libby Burroughs
Auburn University
Libby is the president of the Auburn University team and absolutely exemplified what being a leader is all about. Libby took a team that was fighting for a spot at nationals the last few years, to coming in as #1 ranked team in D2 nationals. Not to mention she was there for every one of her skiers cheering them on on the dock. Awesome to see what teams can do with the help of a great leader!
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Maggie Peplow
Miami University
If you have seen Maggie at tournaments you have most likely seen her dancing on the dock to whatever song her skier requests, chugging a Red Bull to stay energized to cheer on every skier regardless of what team they are on, or doing anything she can to help the tournament run smoothly. She even landed a coveted spot as an honorary captain for Purdue because of how well she led her own team. Maggie has made her mark on the water ski community by going above and beyond her captain duties and serving her second term as the Great Lakes Chairwoman. She does everything in her power to get the team ready and registered for tournaments early, will always make herself available to dock start, and encourages others to become just as involved as she is.
There are people on our team that would have never joined if it weren’t for Maggie constantly reaching out to them, there are people who would have never ran for exec positions if it weren’t for Maggie making everything she does sound exciting and fun, and our team as a whole would not be where it is today without Maggie. Maggie embodies what it means to be a leader; she sacrifices her personal time for the team, she looks out for and makes personal connections with everyone she is around, and is a positive role model for anyone in the water ski community. Maggie has put her heart into Miami University and Midwest water ski and will always be someone that is looked up to as the epitome of a team captain.
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Mallin Blaxall
University of Cincinnati
Mallin helped to increase the number of people on the team, helped skiers improve in multiple events, increased morale, and successfully handled eligibility issues this year. She is an inspirational woman, and she worked very hard to restore UC’s program to our former glory. Last year was the first year in 10 years that we didn’t make it to Nationals, and I believe that we wouldn’t have this year too if it wasn’t for Mallin. Her commanding leadership was able to motivate skiers to practice and push themselves like they hadn’t before. I am proud to have had her as our president.
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Nellie Roberts
Clemson University
Nellie did everything she could to run tournaments this year along with taking 18 credits in school to graduate a year early! She has also been a great Vice President by helping run our meetings and being very efficient while she does it, she is one of the great leaders in the NCWSA. And her drive to help the team and skiers within the team is very selfless! She also ran our spring tournament which took a lot of work and she ran SAC Regionals and made many sacrifices to do so. All of these things make Nell a great nomination for this award!
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Rachel Walgenbach
Texas State University
Rachel took over a ski team with only 6 members and rebuilt over the summer and at the start of the semester to now have over twenty skiers. Even though she is not the best skier on the team, new skiers look up to her and she helps coach them to get up for the first time. It’s been five years since a team has planned and put on SCR Regionals, but Rachel was able to do it with the help of a few teammates and some parent volunteers. Rachel got her team to nationals and had the brilliant idea of sharing team equipment with another school from our region. She did all of this while applying for grad school and taking some of the hardest classes for her major.
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Samantha Hess
Texas A&M University
Sami has worked so hard for the Texas A&M University Water Ski Team this year to make it a happier and more loving environment. She always puts others first and helps us achieve our team goals. She keeps us in check and helps us work hard. Sami never lets anyone feel alone or excluded which is one of the most special feelings on our team. She makes it her goal to make everyone happy and enjoy every second of being on the team.
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Summer Lawson
Missouri State University
Summer Lawson has been the backbone of the Missouri State Waterski Team for the last 3 years. She has been a strong leader, an inspiring mentor and a wonderful friend. She is always willing to help, even outside of the ski team and has been there for any member who had trouble with school, relationships or life in general. She has lead this team with a smile on her face, even when we faced troubling times. Summer has given this team her all. Without Summer Lawson, MOState Ski would not be anything close to what it is today.
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Cullen Parker
Texas A&M University
Cullen shows leadership on and off the water. He skis well, but more importantly he brings the team together. He makes a priority of knowing how to include others and gives much of his effort to encouraging others. He is a phenomenal skier but is humble enough to teach far less talented people. He cares about getting people on the water and wants to show them it is why we are all so passionate about skiing. Cullen is an icon of the Texas A&M waterski team and has put so much work into building up an atmosphere that draws great skiers, but also recognizes that college is a time to try new things and meet new friends, even if it’s your first time out on the water. He uses the contacts he’s made in the water ski community for the betterment of the team as a whole. He not only talks the talk but walks the walk. Cullen embodies the Aggie spirit and should be recognized for his leadership and passion in TAMU SKI.
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Harry Spavin
University of Louisiana at Lafayette
Harry Spavin is the current Team Captain of the Ragin’ Cajuns Water Ski Team. With a relatively experienced team, Harry is recognized for the positive change in the team’s dynamic and atmosphere this year. The 2019 season’s team motto has been “Cajun Family” and Harry has been instrumental in building a family that supports, encourages, and respects each other on and off the water. Harry is a Civil Engineering student, which requires a demanding course load and still finds time to be a great leader. Harry puts in an incredible number of hours at the lake, driving and coaching as well as doing site maintenance. He also volunteers a considerable amount of time in the office, planning and ensuring all team travel, tournaments, and events are organized. As with all great leaders, instead of doing everything himself, Harry has been able to lead by enlisting his teammates to take on different tasks. Harry committed a substantial amount of time to organize the team in all aspects of Nationals.
With Nationals being hosted in California this year, there was even more time required to organize travel and allocate the budgeted funds the team was able to access. As team captain, one of Harry’s responsibilities is to organize and prepare the team for tournaments. At a tournament, Harry’s priority is to make sure his teammates are comfortable and ready to compete. He then switches roles, puts on his skis and becomes one of the competitive members of the Ragin Cajun Family, contributing to team scores.
Harry has led the team to an extremely successful season. The team won every tournament this year culminating with the 2019 National Champions. Harry also lead his team to 14 individual medals and the overall team gold at Nationals. Harry should be acknowledged for the tremendous leadership skills he has demonstrated. He pushes and challenges everyone to be their best self on and off the water. He encourages team members to help out in the community and to be involved on campus. He organizes community events and makes sure his teammates understand the importance of giving back to the community. This year, Harry succeeded in obtaining sponsors and rekindling relationships with ULL ski team alumni. He has put a substantial importance on recruitment, social media, and community involvement. He assists with coaching, boat driving, maintenance of the ski site and field of play, boat maintenance, poster making, driving the team van to tournaments and academic tutoring, always going above and beyond the expected duties of a team captain.
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Mark Coyne
University of Illinois
Without Mark, the University of Illinois ski team would be dead. Him and I came in freshman year and joined a team of 3 other people that hadn’t been competing in tournaments. As a freshman, we could tell how passionate he was for the team and now that he is a junior, it is even more prevalent. As the president of the ski team, he has been able to organize a group of 15-20 skiers. This year he helped pull together a team to go to two tournaments and make sure that we had people there to help host Midwest Regionals. Simply put, the team is what it is today because of Mark.
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Female Nominees
Male Nominees
Alice Bagnoli
University of Louisiana at Lafayette
Alice is a sophomore on the Ragin’ Cajuns Water Ski Team. She is a very hardworking and selfless athlete, having great performances on the water as well as putting the team first. Alice is always conscious of what the team needs her to do and how she should perform based on the team. At Nationals this year she placed in 2 out of 4 events. Alice made the podium in the trick event with a score of 3830, she narrowly missed the jump podium placing 6th with a massive PB of 137ft, and she managed a top 12 finish in slalom with 4.5@35. Alice also placed 2nd in overall with 3 solid scores. Alice skied 5th rotation in the trick event on the final day to give the Cajuns a big lead going into the last event of the tournament. She has continuously shown that she can ski under pressure and the team can rely on her. Alice’s consistent skiing helped the Cajuns take the win at Nationals. Not only did Alice ski amazing at Nationals, her work ethic and commitment in Lafayette is unparalleled. She is an amazing athlete on and off the water, when Alice is not skiing, she dedicates her time and skills to help her fellow teammates improve. Alice has excelled at every tournament she has gone to in the 2019 season. She has placed 1st in tricks at 5 out of 6 SCR tournaments and has accumulated 8 first place finishes this season. Alice has shown that she is an all around consistent skier! She is a great asset to the team and is respected all around, on and off the water.
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Jaimee Bull
University of Louisiana at Lafayette
Jaimee Bull is a Sophomore at the University of Louisiana at Lafayette, studying Mechanical Engineering. Jaimee has made a mark on this team and it’s only her second year. Her support and contagious smile is something to look forward to every day. Jaimee is always working hard on the water but also off the water, in the classroom and in the gym. Jaimee takes her skiing and studying very seriously and encourages her teammates to do the same. Jaimee is a force to be reckoned with on the water. Outside of her college season, she was a U21 World Champion and broke the U21 slalom record this summer. When she got to school, she set her sights high and tied the National Women’s Slalom Record at the 2019 SCR Regionals. Being one of four record holders just wasn’t enough for her, at Nationals, she smashed her shared record by 2.5 buoys, won the National Women’s Slalom Title with a score of 5.5 buoys at 34mph 39.5′ off and was almost the first collegiate woman to run 39.5′ off. Jaimee also helped her team win Nationals. She did this by not only skiing to an NCWSA record skiing, but by also cheering and encouraging her teammates on shore. Jaimee also commits her time to being in the boat and helps her fellow teammates by coaching them. There is no doubt that Jaimee will continue to push the boundaries of Collegiate Water Skiing.
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Marie-Lou Moulanier
University of Louisiana at Lafayette
Marie-Lou Moulanier is a junior on the Ragin’ Cajuns Water Ski Team. She is a fierce skier, always giving it her all on and off the water. Marie- Lou is extremely busy being an architecture student, but makes sure she is training and helping out the ski team as much as she can. Most nights you will find her on campus working away on her projects and during the day you will find her out at the lake. Marie-Lou had an exceptional 2019 Nationals with her scores contributing to the National Championship Title. Marie-Lou was the 2nd rotation of the tournament in slalom and went out on the water charging. She PB’d with a score of 2.25 at 38’ off and a score that set the tone for the rest of the skiers to come. Marie-Lou finished in 6th place, less than a buoy shy of 3rd place. In the jump event at Nationals, Marie-Lou flew to another personal best of 143ft. She was the top score going into 5th rotation on Saturday and ended up placing 4th. Marie-Lou was 1 of 2 female Cajun overall skiers at Nationals and ended up placing 3rd in overall. She is a fantastic overall skier and contributes immensely to the team. Marie-Lou is a very passionate skier, she always wants what’s best for the team and herself. At tournaments she enjoys getting to know other schools and helping out however she can. She works tremendously hard on and off the water and embodies the true collegiate spirit.
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Sarah Switzer
Auburn University
Sarah Switzer is a disabled water skier originating from Madison, AL. She is a student at Auburn University and has skied for their ski team these last two years. However, the 2019 SAC Regionals and NCWSA Nationals were the first time she compete on a collegiate Regional and National level. She learned to ski with Joe Ray and Adaptive Aquatics at the age of 7 and has continued to grow in the sport over the years. She has competed in multiple Disabled Water Ski World Championships and Disabled Water Ski National Championships (since 2014). Over these last 5 years, she has earned over 10 medals showing her accomplishments! At the 2019 SAC Regionals she was just 2 feet off from setting a new disabled water skiing national jump record. She had the whole region cheering for her at Nationals with some fun cross-lake Auburn Tigers chants going.
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Carlo Basic
University of Louisiana at Lafayette
Carlo is a senior on the Ragin’ Cajuns Water Ski Team. He dedicates his time training as well as coaching a significant amount. This year, Carlo has been dubbed the women’s jump coach because he is always willing to get in the boat to coach specifically jump, but all the events as well. Carlo did not ski in the 2018 collegiate season because of an injury so Carlo was ready to attack the 2019 season. He spent his time in the off season making a weaker event his strength. Carlo’s trick personal best before this season was 4400 points. At every tournament this year, Carlo surpassed that score, with 3 out of 4 scores being over 5000 points. Carlo made his consistency his greatest ally and had a personal best performance in trick at Nationals. Don’t let all this trick talk fool you though, Carlo is still a jumping machine! This year, Carlo boosted a massive personal best of 189ft and also came in the top 2 at every SCR tournament in 2019. At Nationals, Carlo was the very last skier of the tournament and performed well under the pressure. He jumped 184ft and placed 3rd in men’s jump. Carlo competed in 2 events at Nationals and made the podium in both events.
Carlo is not only a great coach and skier, he is the Cajun Hype Man! Carlo is very energetic and the team can always count on him to get everyone pumped up. He is there to make sure everyone is feeling good in training and at tournaments. Carlo is also a great ambassador for the team, this past year he won the ski team ambassador award which was well deserved. Carlo promotes the ski team on and off campus to everyone he meets. He is also very passionate about recruitment, reaching out to recruits, and making sure that when they visit, they are having a great time! At tournaments, Carlo doesn’t only ski but he helps judge as well. He is willing to do anything for his team and for the sport. He is so enthusiastic about collegiate water skiing and is a great asset to the whole community.
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Conley Pinette
University of Louisiana at Lafayette
Conley Pinette is a junior on the Ragin’ Cajuns Water Ski Team. At the beginning of the summer he had an unfortunate injury that did not allow him to ski throughout the summer. So Conley came into the collegiate season still getting over his knee injury but was determined to do everything he could to help the team win a national title. Conley was the only Cajun men’s skier to ski overall at nationals. He started out the tournament strong with standing up his trick run, posting a solid score of 4500 points. Conley had a goal going into nationals to stand up his trick run, and he did just that. The next day of nationals, Conley blew up the slalom course by skiing in the first rotation and running a score of 3 at 38’ off. This was a collegiate PB and an important score for the team. On the final day of nationals, Conley solidified his overall performance, boosting a jump soaring to 176ft. With 3 solid scores, he made the podium in overall with a silver medal. His consistent and great skiing helped the team win the national title. At SCR tournaments, Conley is always willing to help. He will judge and volunteer with anything when called upon. Conley is someone that every team member can count on, he will go out of his way to help his friends. Leading up to nationals, Conley spends the majority of his time at the lake helping drive and coach. He is someone who everyone enjoys seeing because he is always positive and has a smile on his face. You can count on Conley to light up the room when he walks in.
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Evan Monaghan
The Ohio State University
Just check out his scores on USA Waterski (not the early slalom ones, he was using a broken ski). Evan is one of the best slalom skiers in the region, and he proved that at Regionals and Nationals. When most people were failing to run their openers in the classic PITTS skiing conditions, Evan was slaying passes…not one, not two, something like three or four. This was HUGE team points. Evan is also one of the best jumpers in the region. Evan consistently jumped in 80’s all season, landed a jump in the 90’s at Nationals, and even booted a 100-foot fall for his last jump this year. On top of that, Evan put up an impressive trick score every tournament. Trick is something that Evan hates, but he does it anyways just to earn the team more points. This makes him one of the best three-event skiers in the region, as well as a great team player on The Ohio State University Water Ski Team.
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Guillaume Tétreault
University of Louisiana at Lafayette
It was an honor to compete on the same team as him when he came all the way to Tennessee (as the only member from his team) to ski at the 2019 All-Stars for the SCR. Gui is one of the most humble athletes I have ever met in my life. Guillaume encourages, cheers and helps any skier, driver, or official without any questions. It is something he just wants to do and his grace never goes unnoticed. He is so so talented on and off of the water. Gui is captivating to watch flipping over and over and over and over down the lake but have you seen the guy juggle? His athleticism is so entertaining to watch through everything he does and he has brought such a unique character to the NCWSA.
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Tanguy Dailland
Florida Southern College
Tanguy is a great candidate for Male Skier of the Year because of his remarkable performances on the water as well as his unselfishness as a team member at Florida Southern College. He works hard in the classroom as he works to become a student in Physical Therapy school. Outside of class, Tanguy works hard on his own skiing and is extremely passionate about the growth of skiing in his teammates. He is always willing to go the extra mile to coach fellow teammates. Tanguy is an amazing teammate and an even better friend. I would love to see him achieve this prestigious award.
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| Arizona State University | Clemson University | Indiana University | Miami University |
| Texas A&M University | University of Cincinnati | University of Louisiana at Lafayette | University of Wisconsin – La Crosse |
Arizona State University
Tempe, Arizona
Arizona State University (ASU) placed sixth overall which may, at first glance, look underwhelming for an overall team of the year award but there is good reason to take a deeper look. Looking back over the past few years anyone can see that ASU is not only growing in size, but in strength and ability as well. The water ski team at Arizona State has gone from an 18th place finish in division 2 just two years ago to 6th at the Division 1 NCWSA Nationals this year. This year the team showed up with huge enthusiasm and spirit (undeniable since you can hear them from great distances). They came in sixth overall. But, again, take a deeper look. This team is the first place non-scholarship team! The students are self managed, self coached, responsible for their training schedules, boat maintenance, lake obligations and negotiations for lake use. They self manage and fund all travel, have no academic support from the school but hold each other highly accountable for academic success, and work hard for their success all while being college students. It is a lot to ask of a group of young adults, and they are proving to be a force as they climb the national ranks, are being noticed for their strengths and abilities, and are able to be considered by competitive recruits! ASU’s current goals include a top 5 finish at nationals next year, and with the help of decorations like this one, more and more talented skiers are headed to the West. ASU has a club of over 30 members and is working to grow the sport each year, with several “learn to ski” days and constant progression among both A and B-team members. No other team has broken so much ground in previous years, and no other team is more deserving of any award titled “team of the year”.
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Clemson University
Clemson, South Carolina
Simply said, Clemson University’s Waterski team triumphed in 2019. Having 4 of 5 men PB in jump at nationals, winning the spirit award, and the women’s team placing as #1 non-scholarship school should say it all. Clemson Waterski Team, a student run organization, has continued to improve over the years by bringing in fresh faces who simply love the sport. I have never been around so many people, with such a strong love and desire for this sport. With our busy lives to keep up with, we still manage to remain not only a team but a family. Countless members stay active in the USA Water Ski world along with the NCWSA. This keeps our team up and alive. Not to mention the countless supporters we have all across the nation who bleed orange for this amazing school. Overall I can truly say that my life has been changed by collegiate water skiing. Growing up through USA Water Ski I always looked forward to my collegiate years, but I would have never imagined to love it as much as I do now. Anyone can tell you that this small school, from upstate South Carolina, will always scream C-L-E-M-S-O-N at the top of their lungs, paint up in orange and purple, and support their team until the end. Go tigers.
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Indiana University
Bloomington, Indiana
This year was such a big year for Indiana University and it was really fun to watch! We see IU at almost every tournament and to see the size that their team has grown this year was amazing. They also made it to Regionals this year by a healthy margin which is amazing since the IU team was on the ropes of extinction a few years ago. It is a testament to all of their skiers’ hard work this season and in the off season for the success of the whole team.
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Miami University
Oxford, Ohio
At the beginning of the season if someone told me that the Miami University team would win DII nationals, I would have told that person that they’re crazy. All returners remember worrying about being able to make it to nationals in the first place. However, this team put in an immense amount of time and effort into achieving a goal we dreamed about all year, a national championship.
It all started with recruitment at the beginning of the year. Miami hosts an event called mega fair in which students can sign up for any club or organization. Everyone knew that this event was very important for us because we lost a fair amount of seniors the previous year and would have loved to obtain many new members. At mega fair, the team had over 100 people sign up for the club and 30 of which came to our new member lake day where they could take a set and get used to our site. In the end, about 20 new members officially joined the team which was amazing to see. The team put in many hours to recruit these new members and show them how amazing it is to be a part of a club like the waterski team.
After a very successful recruitment, the team got right to work with everyone putting in effort to improve day in and day out. From this improvement and work ethic everyone had, the team skied very well and placed in the top five at every tournament leading up to nationals. Everyone was super excited and a little nervous leading up to the trip to Rio Linda. Coming in as a second seed everyone knew the team had a chance to win it but knew it would be a tough fight. At nationals, everyone skied the best they ever did in any previous tournament with over half of the skiers obtaining a new PB which was so fulfilling to see the work put in all year long pay off.
Before the banquet everyone was on edge because they knew how close they were to winning, but no one had any idea how close. I personally will never forget the moment Miami University was announced as DII National Champions and just thinking how proud I was of this team. Everyone on this team had the drive and motivation to put in work all year long and to see it pay off in the end gave everyone the best feeling of accomplishment and fulfillment. Every single skier had a significant role in us obtaining our goal, starting with mega fair to the night of the banquet. The bonds and friendships made on the team this year, the countless laughs and endless memories all leading up to a goal we have all dreamed about since we joined the team. For these reasons I am confident in saying that this team, made up of the best people I have ever met, is ultimately the team of the year.
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Texas A&M University
College Station, Texas
The love and spirit on the team is so special and truly is a family that makes each day better. Texas A&M University has gained more skiers and we have taken our team from a “fun” school to a team that actually puts our name out there without having any scholarship students. We have worked hard to better ourselves and cheer on teammates as they make a personal best or achieve a goal. We are not just friends at ski events, these people are my best friends and will last for life.
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University of Cincinnati
Cincinnati, Ohio
2019 was a huge year for the Bearcats. I’ve been around for 4 years now, and seeing the incredible individual and team growth that UC put together this season was unbelievable. Our 2018 season ended abruptly and disappointingly, but it truly set a fire under our feet to come back better and stronger the next year. We accomplished quite a bit in such a quick turn-around.
The annual alumni banquet in February successfully raised thousands of dollars from our generously donated auction items. The team returned to Lucky Lowe’s Ski School for spring break training for the first time in years. Multiple skiers competed in and helped officiate the Spring Fest tournament at Swerve. In April, the team walked the Nippert Stadium track for hours to raise money for the American Cancer Society in UC’s Relay for Life. We volunteered at the Flying Pig Marathon with the relay teams.
Two skiers, Austin Bolger and Clare Knecht, represented UC and Team Midwest at All-Stars, where Clare set a new school jump record at 71 feet! We transitioned to a new full-time home lake this year, Skier’s Runway in Harrison, Ohio and practiced all summer. We hosted a youth adaptive ski clinic in conjunction with Cincinnati Children’s Hospital and On The Edge foundation for the first time and plan to make it a tradition. Many Bearcats also traveled up to Columbus to help run the Ampuski event hosted at White Sulfur in Ostrander, Ohio. In August, we held our annual alumni tournament and introduced another auction with items donated thanks to the crafty, artsy Allie Steele. We also had members participate in AWSA sanctioned three event tournaments all throughout the summer.
Once the collegiate season kicked off, UC skiers were at the forefront of supporting tournaments. At our first tournament, the Southern Ohio Challenge, UC and its alumni were the main sources of judges, scorers, safeties, drivers and dock starters throughout the weekend. As the season continued, UC kept on supporting tournaments as officials, announcers, and boat cleanup at the end of each weekend. Cruises Creek in Walton, Kentucky hosted regular fall practices as well, thanks to the alumni Rouse Family.
Once tournament season rolled around, we boosted some impressive scores and had skiers in the top ten every tournament. Allie became the second ever female Bearcat to join the shortline club, just 2 buoys away from breaking the school record. Curtis Kolb joined shortline as well, making him the first new male addition in years. The team nailed 5th place at Great Lakes Conference Where Curtis tied for 2nd in slalom. Braving tornado winds in Decatur, the team managed 7th place at Midwest Regionals. Mallin Blaxall took 3rd in jump, 3rd in slalom, and 2nd in Women’s overall and Curtis took 3rd in slalom at regionals. Sneaking into the last wildcard spot sent us on our way to Nationals.
This was our 11th Nationals in 12 years, following a straight decade from 2008-2017. 11 Bearcats took off for Rio Linda, bringing our small but mighty team that carried us all year to Nationals and took home 8th in DII, ahead of our seed. Curtis placed 3rd in slalom, missing 1st by only a single buoy. Every single jumper PB-ed or matched their PB, including a monster 74’ jump on a wakeboard for Brayden Patton. In early November, we officially wrapped up our season when we helped pull the jump out and tie up loose ends at the lake for the winter. Now we are transitioning into focusing on academics and resting up for next season. GO CATS
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University of Louisiana at Lafayette
Lafayette, Louisiana
The Ragin’ Cajuns Water Ski Team truly is a big family, which is needed when everyone lives far from home. This team came together this year with a goal of winning Nationals. From the start of the season, there was a different atmosphere. There is more to every team member than their on-water performance. Everyone spends time in the boat driving/coaching, as well as time at the lake helping maintain the site. The team spends time together at the lake but also outside the lake environment. Most weeknights you can find members in the library studying along with supporting each other to work hard in the classroom. Many team members workout and play basketball together. Spending time together on and off the water is key to becoming a close, supportive family.
The support the team has for one another is a reason why the team has been so successful. The Cajuns have won every tournament in 2019. A total of 14 individual medals at the 2019 Nationals with two first place finishes and a cumulative team first place. Throughout the year, members are willing and able to help at tournaments. There are 12 officials who continuously officiate at tournaments.
The team also offers skiing and coaching to other schools before hosting Fleur de Ski. The Cajuns enjoys being involved in the community. The team participates in Veterans Week yearly by setting up their boat at a local grocery store and collecting items for homeless veterans. The team also participates in Family Adventure Day for Healing House of Lafayette. Families come to the lake and learn about the team. Members pull kids on shore, take them for boat rides and skis for them. The team loves meeting the families and seeing the smiling faces.
The team is also involved in school events such as Mardi Gras and Homecoming Parades. This year, the team rolled through the homecoming parade as National Champions and won first place for Best Float in the Independent Organization category. During the homecoming football game, the was invited onto the football field.
The team’s social media presence has improved considerably this year. There has been more posts, stories, and followers. Social media helps the team be recognized by the university, community, peers, recruits, sponsors, and fellow water ski enthusiasts. The team has put extra time into recruiting new skiers to join the Cajun Family. The first official “recruitment weekend” was in the spring and will continue to host the event. The team gained some great recruits this fall semester, which is because of the work that members put into recruitment. This year, the team has been working on keeping in contact with alumni and has gained important sponsors who are alumni, Tides Medical and Bennett’s Boat & Ski. This year, the team has volunteered to host the region for winter conference with a goal to make it beneficial for everyone.
The University of Louisiana at Lafeyette Ragin’ Cajuns are looking forward to growing and continuing to have an impact within the community.
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University of Wisconsin – La Crosse
La Crosse, Wisconsin
The University of Wisconsin – La Crosse ski-gles team had a perfect Midwest competition season by winning our first 4 tournaments. It was a clean sweep all the way through Regionals. Even at regionals we never left first place. It was the first time winning regionals in over 6 years. We persevered through a few injuries of key skiers and a few even having to miss skiing to remain on track with school. Everyone worked incredibly hard on and off the water. We had one of the best recruitment years in a long time, filling all A skier positions, having many skiers join just for practice and join us for the support in tournaments.
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Current Skier and Captain at the University of Cincinnati.
- 2019 NCWSA Awards Nominees & Voting - November 19, 2019
- 2019 NCWSA Awards – Call for Nominations! - October 21, 2019
- Congrats to the 2018 NCWSA Awards Winners! - November 13, 2018
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