Indiana Water Ski  Association

2008   Awards Dinner and Fall Banquet

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The 2008 IWSA Awards Dinner was held November 1st, at the Primo West Banquet Facility in Plainfield just west of Indianapolis.
 

The event was attended by 88 members of  IWSA and awards were presented to the following skiers.

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The Barb Miller Memorial Scholarship was awarded to Scott Schmitt

Hall of Fame Inductee, John and Barb Miller

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Sponsors Awards

IWSA can never thank their sponsors enough. They are very dedicated to the sport and without their help IWSA certainly wouldn't be as successful as they are today. Accepting awards were Steve Plummer - Bart's Water Sports, Scott Leppert - PineCrest Marine, Mark Daugherty - N3 Boatworks, Ken Maloon - Correct Craft.  Other sponsors recognized were Methodist Sports, Morse Lake Inboards, and Aqua Marine of Anderson, Indy Wakes, The Shelbourne Knee Center, MD Boats, Skiers Edge, Morse Lake Inboards, Freelance Lettering.

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All pictures to the left can be enlarged from the picture this link Pictures Here

NSL Female Skiers of the Year

        Diana Bell - Diana attended nearly every Monday Night Ski League this past summer and attended Thursday Night White River events after the Monday's at Fairland ended. She is a member of the Indianapolis Ski Klub for the past couple years and has stepped up to the treasurers position for the group this season.

NSL Male Skiers of the Year      

        Drew Mason - Drew has attended the Monday Night Ski League events at Fairland for the last several years. He became more involved in 08' by attending the two NSL/Grassroots Tournaments and the Champion Lake Guest Night as well as the White River Thursday Night events. Drew purchased a new ski and is looking for a club to join in 2009.

Volunteer of the Year

        Jerry Hodges - Jerry is the "engineer" of the newly formed Indy Skiers which formed on the White River. While continuing to attend the Fairland Monday Night Ski League events, Jerry's efforts ranged form installing the courses in the river after battling high waters that were left from the June rains to construction of ramps and ski racks. Jerry has volunteered his time and boat. This year while installing the course in the river Jerry found sizable object which was a concern of location for the coarse. After weeks of high water and the object, which was a car in the bottom of the river,  The club went on to successfully host their Thursday Night Ability Training Series activities.

Jr. Male Skier of the Year

        Nicholas Shedd - Nicholas's home site is Sawmill Lake in Columbus. Sawmill, famous for producing many elite skiers, Nicholas seems to be on his way. This year in Boys 1 at the state tournament he was 1st in slalom, 1st in trick and 1st overall. At Regional's he was 1st overall, 2nd in slalom, and 3rd in tricks. Nicholas was awarded the most Improver Jr. Skier Award at the regionals by the Mid West Jr. Development Team. Then he went on to nationals and captured a 5th place finish in trick, 6th place in slalom and a 3rd place in overall.

Jr. Female Skier of the Year

        Liz Tynan - This was Liz's first year skiing tournaments. Another Sawmill Lake skier, Liz was 1st at the Indiana State Tournament, she finished 8th at Regional's in Wichita KS, and finished 11th at Nationals in West Palm Beach. Liz is currently 6th on the National Rankings List and was  the Midwest Regional Rankings List Champion for 2008 in Girls 1 slalom.

Family of the Year

        The Lambert Family - Tony, Jennifer and Megan skied at Eagle Mills for years carrying and installing a portable course in this public lake. The Lambert Family joined the Ski Klub of Indianapolis four years ago. Tony and Megan skied the 2007 Nationals in Bakersfield. Jennifer attained her trained boat drivers status in 08 and they became charter members of the new Indy Skiers on the White River. When you see the Lambert boat on the river you can count on the whole family being there. This year the three all skied in the state tournament.

Ski Club of the Year

        Indy Skiers -  For the first few months of this season this club has fought the elements, rain,  high water and strong currents, as well as dodging submerged cars for their ski course location. This club went on to conduct Thursday Night Ski Leagues, Installed ramps for wheel chair access for the disabled to better access the river with it's steep banks, conducted two learn to ski Nights. This new club has made a home for many that didn't have a place to ski to call home.

Official of the Year

         Don Bucher - Besides hosting 2 three event tournaments, and three NSL events as well as a few Tuesday Night Learn to Ski events at home, Don not only has been an appointed official at State, Regionals and Nationals, he skied the tournaments as well. With a 13th place finish in Slalom at Nationals. This year at Regionals he was 1st in slalom, 6th in trick nad 4th in jump for a 2nd place overall finish. Don went on to hold the Men's 6 state slalom record for 5 minutes before it was broken again by Gary Hall.

Female Skier of the Year   

       Cheryl Schmitt - Cheryl is a Woman's 5 skier. She is up at dawn every morning working a set in before work, then to come home to practice more at night. She went on to finish 1st in slalom, 4th in trick, 2nd in jump and 2nd overall at the state tournament. Then finished 3rd in slalom, 3rd in trick, 3rd in jump and 2nd overall at the Midwest Regionals. Then finished 12 in slalom, 9th in trick, 7th in jump and 6th overall at the National Tournament in West palm Beach Florida.

Male Skier of the Year

         Briant Detty -  Here's B'sters Highlights.

• 2008 Elected to the National Junior Development Team for 2008

• 2008 Boys 2 State Jump Champion

• 2008 Boys 2 State Overall Champion

• Broke the Boys 2 Sate jump record with a jump of 110 ft.

• Broke the Boys 2 State Overall record with a NOPS score of 3,181

• Broke the Boys 2 Regional " Regional Tournament" record , which held for 33 years since 1975, with a jump of 110 ft

• 2008 Boys 2 Regional Jump Champ

• 2008 Boys 2 Regional Overall Champ

• Broke the Boys 2 Regional "Record Tournament" record with a jump of 113ft.

• 2008 Ski Nautique Award

• 2008 regional high NOPS of any competitor any age/ gender with a NOPS of 3,189

• 2008 Midwest rankings List Jump Champ

• 2008 Midwest Rankings List Overall Champ

• Elected to the 2008 Midwest All Star Team

• Elected to the 2008 Midwest Junior Elite team

• 2008 4th place Nationals Boys 2 Slalom

• 2008 Boys 2 National Jump Champ

• 2008 National Rankings List Jump Champ

• 2008 NAtional Rankings List Overall Runner Up

• Broke his own regional 'record tournament" record of 113ft. to 115 ft. at Nationals

• 2008 All Star Team places 3rd at NAtionals

Worth Mentioning

        Lake Clark - Lake was the lucky ticket holder to win the top prize drawing of a pair of combo's by Connelly. Donated for door prize from Pine Crest Marine, Don't be surprised if you see his father Chris riding these in the Big Dog next year.