2025 Academic All-Stars

Introducing the 2025 NCWSA Academic All-Stars — a standout group of student-athletes balancing the demands of competition and the classroom! We’re beyond proud of all our hardworking, dedicated skiers.

Sara Mueller

School: Texas A&M

Area of Study: Communication

Hometown: Mammoth Lakes, California

Future Plans:

This fall, I’ll be beginning flight school in Caldwell, Idaho as I work toward a career in aviation and my goal of flying for the airlines.

Favorite Memory:

Cheering on my team at this past nationals and dressing up for our themes. Winning the spirit award was just the cherry on top.

Delaney Harris

School: Florida Southern College

Area of Study: Marine Biology and Environmental Science

Hometown: Smithfield, North Carolina

Future Plans:

Officer Candidate School for the Coast Guard

Favorite Memory:

My last collegiate nationals was so much fun despite all the uncertainty with hurricanes and travel, we showed up and made the best out of it and ended up getting 4th!

Notable Accomplishments:

Classic Crash Award in jump and team captain this last year. I was in Kappa Delta Sorority, I was a tour guide for the school and the Director of Leadership for the tour guides, I was the Intercollegiate Athlete Senator for SGA, and I played tons of intramural sports where I met my best friends!

Emily Schaefer

School: Ohio State University

Area of Study: Health and Rehabilitation Sciences

Hometown: Cincinnati, Ohio

Future Plans:

Physical Therapy Grad School

Favorite Memory:

Winter Conference in Oxford

Notable Accomplishments:

Club treasurer, spirit captain, and travel coordinator

Gus Bergman

School: Southern Methodist University

Area of Study: Management Science and Data Science

Hometown: Grantsburg, Wisconsin

Future Plans:

Master’s Degree in Operations Research at SMU

Favorite Memories:

SMU’s first ever tournament at Polar Bear 2023

Kennedy Austin

School: Cal Poly SLO

Area of Study: Biomedical Engineering

Hometown: Denver, Colorado

Future Plans:

Excited for new steps and open to new opportunities.

Favorite Memory:

One of my favorite team memories was at my first Nationals in Louisiana. I was so close to landing my first jump ever and I just remember watching from behind the boat the amount of love and support my team showed when cheering me on. The wanted me to land almost as bad as I wanted to land. I have never been part of a community as supportive and team oriented like Cal Poly Waterski. Even though there are countless memories I could mention here I think this one very well demonstrates how this team makes me feel like family. I love them all so much and really am going to miss them.

Carter Josef

School: Cal Poly SLO

Area of Study: Mechanical Engineering

Hometown: Eagle, Colorado

Future Plans:

Controls engineer in San Jose

Favorite Memory:

Going off of the jump ramp in an inflatable dinosaur costume at the Jurassic Park themed tournament.

Notable Accomplishments:

I came into college having never skied through a course before. After my four years, I can now run 22 off at max speed. In that time, I have been the secretary of our team and the vice chair of finance for the entire club sports council.

Olivia Chute

School: Florida Southern College

Area of Study: Applied Mathematics and Statistics- STEM

Hometown: Halifax, Nova Scotia

Future Plans:

I have been accepted to the College of Optometry at Nova Southeastern University where I will spend the next four years studying to become an optometrist! Being located in South Florida I will be lucky to have the opportunity to keep up with waterskiing between my classes.

Favorite Memory:

This past season in my third and final year of collegiate skiing, I became the collegiate women’s National trick Champion! What made this moment most memorable was my entire team chanting my nickname – OChute – as I walked up to the podium, and then circling me in a bear hug embrace after. This level of support and love from your teammates is like nothing else in the sport and something unique to the collegiate waterski community.

Notable Accomplishments:

In addition to claiming the collegiate national trick title, my greatest waterski related accomplishments during my college career include being named to the Canadian Elite National Team last winter, and qualifying for my first Pro Masters this past May in women’s trick. On campus, in addition to the waterski team I was also a member of Kappa Delta sorority, Kappa Mu Epsilon mathematics honor society, and P3 Pre-Health Professions Program.

Alyssa Hinden

School: The University of Kansas

Area of Study: Doctor of Pharmacy

Hometown: St. Louis, Missouri

Future Plans:

Completing my (post grad year 1) PGY1 Residency at UW Health in northern Illinois focusing on outpatient ambulatory care! (And hoping to make some connections now that I’ve moved so I can ski).

Favorite Memories:

1. Traveling to Florida with the exec board to receive the national team of the year award and going to Gasparilla. 2. My whole team traveling to Bennett’s for the week and then turning around and driving to Texas for my first ever All-Stars. 3. In general, driving practice on sunny days with a fantastic boat crew and coaching teammates!

Notable Accomplishments:

  • NCWSA Female Leader of the Year 2022 & NCWSA Team of the Year 2023
  • 3 years on team’s exec board as the marketing chair (1yr) for 1 year & VP of PR (2yrs)
  • MCWSA marketing chair in 2023-2024
  • Assistant judge
  • During my 4th year of Pharmacy school when we do clinical rotations, I did a rotation at Regina Jaquess’s compounding pharmacy in Santa Rosa Beach, Florida!! She was a huge inspiration on & off the water!
  • Secretary for the School of Pharmacy student council 2022-2023,
  • VP of School of Pharmacy student council 2023-2024
  • Class president of the School of Pharmacy class of 2025 for 2022-2024
  • Membership chair of the Student Society of Health Systems Pharmacists (SSHP) 23-24
  • Involved in the American Pharmacist Association Academy of Student Pharmacist
  • Member of Delta Delta Delta & was director of academic excellence 2020-2022

Leah Lindemeyer

NCWSA Marketing Chairwoman | Alumna & former Public Relations Chair of Michigan State Water Ski | Current Ohio State Skier