By USA Water Ski & Wake Sports | Dec. 14, 2020, 8:23 a.m. (ET)
The American Water Ski Association has announced respective award winners for 2020. Regina Jaquess (Santa Rosa Beach, Fla.) was selected Athlete of the Year; Blaze Grubbs (Rio Linda, Calif.) was selected Junior Athlete of the Year; and Bennett’s Ski School, Jay Bennett, Andre Broussard and Donny Covington will share Volunteer of the Year honors.
Jaquess won slalom titles at the 2020 GOODE Water Ski National Championships, Stillwaters Pro Team Challenge, Malibu Open, Swiss Pro Slalom and MasterCraft Pro. She also won the Open Women jumping and overall titles at the GOODE Water Ski National Championships and Stillwaters Pro Team Challenge, and she finished second in jumping at the Malibu Open. She also set a new Women 3/Masters Women national tricks record of 8,540 points at the 2020 Lymanland Fall Record in Tuscaloosa, Ala.
Grubbs swept the Boys’ slalom, tricks, jumping and overall titles at the 2020 Junior U.S. Open Water Ski Championships. He also won Boys 5 tricks and overall and placed second in jumping and third in slalom at the 2020 GOODE Water Ski National Championships. He also won boys’ jumping and placed second in slalom and overall, and third in tricks at the 2020 Junior Moomba Masters.
Bennett’s Ski School, Jay Bennett, Andre Broussard and Donny Covington were instrumental in putting on a successful 2020 GOODE Water Ski National Championships at Tri-Lakes in Zachary, La. The 2020 Nationals was originally scheduled to be held at Okeeheelee Park in West Palm Beach, Fla., however, the Ski Club of the Palm Beaches had to pull out as the local organizing club due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on South Florida.
The American Water ski Association is one of nine sport discipline organizations affiliated with USA Water Ski & Wake Sports.