Happy Award – Most Supportive Alumni

[Andy]

Did they attend every tournament this season to help out as a judge/driver/cheerleader? Help coach during the day after day, week after week? Provide some necessary gear improvements?

What alumni did you see make the biggest impact for their team or the region in the Midwest this year?

[Allie Steele]

Call me biased, but Le Rouse was the reason that Cincinnati had the opportunity to go back to nationals this year. In a pinch for lake time during the week, him, his dad and their lake owner generously offered for us to ski at their exclusive lake in Walton, KY. Le and his dad pulled us and coached us from the second we skipped our last class until the second we got yelled at for being out past dark. Le isn’t the most patient person in the world but every second he spent coaching our team made it seem like he had all the time in the world to give us to make sure his alma mater, and friends succeeded.
Not only did Le tow boats all over Cincinnati, drive an hour to his own lake and other lakes- so we could have a driver- and constantly go over strengths and weaknesses with me to make the roster and practice plans for the week, he was at our tournaments cheering us on too.
Le drove and judged at all of our college tournaments for what seemed like all day- something we constantly saw from so many of our alumni. At the end of the day he was always the last one in the boat making sure the last skier got their time on the water and then helping trailer and clean the boats off too.
All the teams from around knew that Le was a person they could go to for advice, coaching and to be their friends; and a walk down the lake never ended because everyone always wanted to stop and chat with him, say hey and rope him into helping out with something else. Even when he couldn’t make it to regionals, he was still on the phone before every skier telling me what his last bit of encouraging words and coaching were for them.
Le was a tremendous asset for being able to be a walking history book for UC waterski, for always making sure to use the Libby VanTreese ‘coaching sandwich’ so people wanted to come back, for giving us all his time- not like I gave him choice- and for being a coach and driver for us in such a year of change, transitions, graduations and our return to the national tournament. You can ask anyone, nationals wasn’t much more than a wild dream this year for Cincinnati, one that only a few people were really hungry for and Le was definitely the captain of the boat that got us there.

[Kayla Patnode]

Alex Clark not only helped MSU through out the season but was a big help and reason that regionals ran so smoothly. During MSU’s head to head tournament (our practice tournament at Tivoli with Michigan’s team) Alex picked up the Carr’s family boat which was generously donated for the day and drove it to the site as well as drove and coached new members from both teams. During Ripfest, Alex continued to drive, judge, and coach which was a huge help to MSU running this tournament. Alex went above and beyond and was one of the last members to leave the ski site as well as the camp site helping clean up and making sure the tournament ran smoothly from beginning to end. During regionals, with the few drivers who worked hard all day Alex was right there with them working from the first skier to the last off the water. He has helped MSU with support, coaching, and advice years after he has graduated and has remained a huge part of the Team Midwest support system as well!

[Jake Markusic]

Alex Clark was a huge help to MSU and other Michigan teams

[Anjelica Werning]

David Huisman- WMU
HOLY MOLY this season would have been nearly impossible without David. Team Midwest, has there ever been a time you saw David walk around a ski lake without a smile on his face? Actually, you might have not even seen David walking around much at tournaments because he works SO HARD for us. From judging, to being safety, to figuring out how the points work out, to waking up hours earlier (after partying all night) to make sure the site is ready to go, and a bunch of other things I could say but there is not enough room in this box to type. Have you ever gotten in a boat or jumped in the lake and the boat crew barely says anything to you at all before you compete? Not from David’s boat! He’s going to ask you about your PB, how much you improved, how your feeling today, and encourage you from your head to the tips of your skiis, and be yelling from the boat when you make another PB. It does not matter what school you are from, he cares. I have never seen anybody so in love with this amazing sport. Thank you for rubbing off on me and sharing your ski bug! 🙂

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