Three-Year-Old Girl Qualifies For Nationals

Three-year-old Kimberly Westover of Mesa, Ariz., will be the youngest competitor to ever participate in the GOODE Water Ski National Championships when the 68th annual event takes place Aug. 8-14 at Waters Edge in Wilmington, Ill. Kimberly, who turned 3 in April, qualified in the Girls 1 (ages 9 and under) division based upon her performance at the 2010 Western Regional Water Ski Championships, July 21-24, in Caldwell, Idaho. A top-five placement at the Regionals earns an athlete a berth in the Nationals.

Kimberly placed second in tricks (80 points) and third overall (361.6 points) at the Western Regionals. Kimberly’s older sister, Katelyn, 6, also will be competing at the Nationals. Katelyn won the Girls 1 tricks (950 points) and overall (1,278.3 points) titles at the Western Regionals.

Kristen Baldwin of Windermere, Fla., currently holds the distinction of youngest athlete ever to compete in the Nationals. She was 5 years old when she competed in the 2007 Nationals in Arvin, Calif. Lucille Borgen, who was 94 years old when she competed in the 2007 Nationals, holds the mark for oldest competitor.

More than 800 of the nation's top water ski athletes from across the United States are expected to compete for national titles in slalom, tricks, jumping and overall in respective age divisions and two Open divisions at this year’s Nationals. Advancement to the national championships is primarily earned through placement on the national rankings' list for respective divisions.

The first national championships was held in 1939 at Jones Beach in Long Island, N.Y. Except for four years during World War II (1942-1945), the Nationals has been held every year since 1939.