Four U.S. Teams Earn Medals At IWWF Pan American Water Ski Championships
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by Scott N. Atkinson
Four U.S. Water Ski Teams earned overall team medals and 12 U.S. athletes combined to earn 24 individual medals, including eight gold, at the 2022 IWWF Pan American Water Ski Championships, Nov. 29-Dec. 3, in San Bernardo, Chile. The teams – U14, U17, U21 and Elite – were selected based on a pre-determined selection criteria approved by the American Water Ski Association’s International Activities Committee and board of directors.
The U.S. Elite Water Ski Team earned the overall team silver medal, scoring 7,479.91 points. Chile won the gold medal (7,518.61 points) and Canada the bronze (7,420.73 points) in the nine-team field. Members of the U.S. Elite Water Ski Team were: Anna Gay (Winter Garden, Fla.), Blaze Grubbs (Rio Linda, Calif.), Kennedy Hansen (Milton, Fla.), Regina Jaquess (Santa Rosa Beach, Fla.), Erika Lang (Gilbert, Ariz.) and Nate Smith (McCordsville, Ind.). Hansen earned bronze medals in women’s jumping (150 feet) and overall (2,317.06 points); Jaquess won the gold medal in women’s slalom (1-1/2 buoys at 41 feet off) and earned silver medals in jumping (163 feet) and overall (2,355.48 points); and Smith won the gold medal in men’s slalom (2 buoys at 41 feet off).
The U.S. Under 14 Water Ski Team won the overall team gold medal, scoring 7,712.32 points. Canada earned the silver medal (5,810.79 points) and Chile the bronze (4,615.61 points) in the six-team field.
Members of the U.S. Under 14 Water Ski Team were: Dylan Anderson (Maize, Kan.), BG Bickley (Macon, Ga.), Tia Byrne (Wolcott, Conn.), Cameron Davis (Milford, Va.), Freddy Davis (Milford, Va.) and Ella Gay (Winter Garden, Fla.). Bickley earned silver medals in boys’ jumping (131 feet) and overall (2,677.92 points); Byrne won the gold medal in girls’ slalom (2 buoys at 35 feet off) and the bronze in jumping (63 feet); Cameron Davis won gold medals in girls’ tricks (4,060 points), jumping (73 feet) and overall (2,980.00 points), and the silver in slalom (1/2 buoy at 35 feet off); and Gay earned silver medals in girls’ tricks (3,690 points) and overall (2,195.71 points).
The U.S. Under 17 Water Ski Team earned the overall team silver medal, scoring 6,976.52 points. Canada won the gold medal (7,922.40 points) and Chile the bronze (6,462.90 points) in the eight-team field.
Members of the U.S. Under 17 Water Ski Team were: Vittorio Bloyer (Lake Elmo, Minn.), Emma Davis (Milford, Va.), Elizabeth Hall (Newnan, Ga.), Gage Kacprowicz (San Antonio, Texas), Chase Sparks (Dallas, Ga.) and Solie Stenger (Gettysburg, Pa.). Davis earned the silver medal in girls’ overall (2,258.31 points); Hall won the gold medal in girls’ jumping (109 feet) and the bronze in tricks (3,560 points); Kacprowicz earned the bronze medal in boys’ tricks (5,990 points); and Sparks earned the bronze medal in boys’ jumping (164 feet).
The U.S. Under 21 Water Ski Team earned the overall team silver medal, scoring 5,284.83 points. Canada won the gold medal (6,406.06 points) and Chile the bronze (5,082.09 points) in the six-team field. Members of the U.S. Under 21 Water Ski Team were: Paul Wesley Cory (Sacramento, Calif.), Blaze Grubbs (Rio Linda, Calif.) and Samuel Weber (Lincoln, Neb.). Grubbs won the gold medal in men’s slalom (5 buoys at 38 feet off), the silver in overall (2,707.25 points) and the bronze in tricks (7,140 points).
The team staff consisted of Mark Lane (Bellingham, Wash.), coach; Courtney Lane (Bellingham, Wash.), manager; and Dr. John Carder (Knoxville, Tenn.), physician.
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