Lexi Abelson was one of 28 athletes selected to the American Water Ski Association’s National Junior Water Ski Team for 2024.
AWSA Announces 2024 National Junior Water Ski Team
by Scott N. Atkinson
Top junior water ski athletes from across the nation have been selected to the American Water Ski Association’s National Junior Water Ski Team for 2024. The 28 selections from the Boys/Girls 3, Boys/Girls 4, and Boys/Girls 5 divisions were based on performances during the 2023 tournament season and the previous 12 months.
Using selection criteria approved by the American Water Ski Association’s board of directors, the top junior athletes in the country were named as National Junior Water Ski Team members by the National Junior Development Committee. This team will not collectively represent the United States in any international competitions, but some of these athletes are expected to compete individually in the 2024 Nautique Junior Masters Water Ski Tournament, the 2024 Junior U.S. Open Water Ski Championships, and the 2024 IWWF World Under 17 Waterski Championships.
Athletes are chosen based on the highest performance standards for slalom, trick, and jump. Juniors with an “open” rating in overall or in any single event will be automatically selected to the team. Using the AWSA National Ranking List, any skiers with “open” ratings who were automatically selected will be purged, and then the top 2 overall skiers for both the previous ski year and the last twelve months in each division listed above will be selected to the National Junior Team. Additionally, if a skier sets a benchmark overall or single event score, regardless of the age division criteria above, and does not otherwise make the team, they will be selected. The National Junior Development Committee may choose up to two skiers for discretionary selection.
Selected to the 2024 National Junior Water Ski Team were (alphabetical order): Alexia Abelson (Holderness, N.H.), Jake Abelson (Holderness, N.H.), Aaron Bartlett (Wolfeboro, N.H.), BG Bickley (Macon, Ga.), Wesley Blair (Mooresville, N.C.), Giovanni Bloyer (Lake Elmo, Minn.), Vittorio Bloyer (Vail, Colo.), Bode Bulfer (Northfield, Minn.), George Bulfer (Northfield, Minn.), Ally Custer (Lake Lotawana, Mo.), Cameron Davis (Milford, Va.), Emma Davis (Milford, Va.), Freddy Davis (Milford, Va.), Payton Deming (Round Rock, Texas), Damien Eade (Clermont, Fla.), Jaeden Eade (Clermont, Fla.), Ella Gay (Winter Garden, Fla.), Matthew Greenwood (Scott, Ark.), Natalie Gustafson (Cleveland, Tenn.), Eva Henderson (Gardner, Ill.), Gage Kacprowicz (San Antonio, Texas), Kamryn Massey (Lakeland, Fla.), Maya Maxson (Mill Valley, Calif.), Reid Meinhardt (Alpena, Mich.), Ty Robbins (Wexford, Pa.), Chase Sparks (Dallas, Ga.), Jayden Stabel (Chico, Calif.) and Camryn Waters (Groveland, Fla.).
The American Water Ski Association’s National Junior Development Committee would like to congratulate all the junior competitors and their families for the tremendous amount of time, effort, and dedication they have applied in their quest for excellence.