USA Water Ski Announces Selections To U.S. 35+ Water Ski World Championships Team

Team will compete in the 4th 35+ Water Ski World Championships

POLK CITY, Fla., July 13, 2016 - USA Water Ski and the American Water Ski Association are pleased to announce the athletes selected to the 2016 U.S. 35+ Water Ski World Championships Team, which will compete in the 4th 35+ Water Ski World Championships, Sept. 14-18, at the Sese%C3%B1a Water Ski & Wakeboard Complex in Sese%C3%B1a, Spain. The American Water Ski Association's International Activities Committee selected the team based on qualifications criteria previously approved by the American Water Ski Association's board of directors.
Athletes selected to the U.S. 35+ Water Ski World Championships Team were: John Burris (West Point, Miss.), Brandy Nagle (Elk Grove, Calif.), Tony Knight (Jacksonville, Fla.), Lori Krueger (Martindale, Texas), Mitch Grau (Carrollton, Texas), Joy Kelley (Loudon, Tenn.), Kelly Zoellner (Jacksonville, Ill.) and Janie Fausold (Pleasant Grove, Calif.). Christy Kingsmill (Roselle, Ill.) will be the team manager for the U.S. contingent.

In addition to the team members, several athletes will be competing as U.S. independents at the biennial event. In addition, the 2016 35+ Water Ski World Championships is allowing each national federation to enter five wild card competitors who are not currently qualified from the world rankings list or a member of the federation's team. Along with these five wild card entries, the International Waterski & Wakeboard Federation's Tournament Council also is allowing each national federation to enter five wild card entries for the 65+ division. The U.S. athletes with the highest NOPS (overall) score were selected by the AWSA's IAC provided their score in every event entered met the minimum standards as shown in Section 4 of the IWWF rulebook.

Selected as U.S. 35+ wild cards (35-44, 45-54 and 55-64 age divisions) were: Scot Ellis (Auburndale, Fla.), Benny Lohr (Orlando, Fla.), Eric Kolb (Stow, Ohio), Kim Contos (Fishers, Ind.) and George Levien (Aventura, Fla.).

Selected as U.S. 65+ wild cards were: Sarvis Bass (Wilson, N.C.), John Crane (Niceville, Fla.), Skip Dunlap (Lake Wales, Fla.), Joe Blair (Greenwood, Ark.) andKay Kelly (Milton, Fla.).

The 2014 U.S. 35+ Water Ski World Championships Team won the overall team gold medal at the 2014 World 35+ Water Ski Championships in Groveland, Fla.

The American Water Ski Association is one of nine sport discipline organizations of USA Water Ski.

About USA Water Ski

USA Water Ski was formed in 1939 as a non-profit organization promoting water skiing in the United States. USA Water Ski is affiliated with the International Waterski & Wakeboard Federation (world governing body) and is recognized by the United States Olympic Committee and Pan-American Sports Organization as the national governing body of organized water skiing and wakeboarding in the United States.