The Virginia Tech Wakeboarding Club team put together solid individual efforts on Saturday, Sept. 12, to bring home the team championships at the Eastern Regional Tournament in Lexington, Ky.

The Bluegrass Boardfest was hosted by the University of Kentucky at Taylorsville Lake State Park. The team challenge consisted of combining the top individual scores of four male wakeboard riders, two female wakeboard riders, and one waterskate rider. The team’s combined scores earned them first place over the University of Kentucky, Cincinnati University, Indiana University, and Tennessee University in the team competition. This is the team’s first regional title.

“I was very happy to find out that our Wakeboard Team won their regional tournament and qualified once again to compete in the national tournament next spring,” said Alan Glick, assistant director of sports clubs. “Virginia Tech Wakeboard is quickly earning a reputation as one of the best teams on the east coast, and now the best ‘inland’ collegiate team east of the Mississippi. I’m sure they’ll do a great job at nationals, as they did last year.”

“This year our wakeboard team has a lot of talent,” said team secretary Alison St. Clair. “It’s great to see a team competition generated primarily from an individual based sport. Our goal now is to bring home the National Collegiate Wakeboard title during the spring games in Atlanta.”

Virginia Tech Wakeboard is sponsored by EPIC Wakeboats along with Southern Ski Boats. Epic Boats generously donated an Epic 23V for the team to train on for summer and fall 2009. All of the Virginia Tech Sport Clubs are sponsored by Holiday Inn University, Days Inn Blacksburg, and vitaminwater.

Team members include

  • Mike Brady of Richmond, Md., a sophomore majoring in building construction in the College of Architecture and Urban Studies;
  • Brett Fiskus of Virginia Beach, Va., a junior majoring in business finance in the Pamplin College of Business;
  • Edan Fletcher of McMurray, Pa., a sophomore majoring in mechanical engineering in the College of Engineering;
  • Brittany Haupt of Gainesville, Va., a junior majoring in human nutrition, foods, and exercise in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences;
  • Chris Kah of North Palm Beach, Fla., a sophomore majoring in business, in the Pamplin College of Business;
  • Daniel Maine of Earlysville, Va., a senior majoring in civil engineering in the College of Engineering;
  • Alison St. Clair of Central City, Pa., a graduate student majoring in civil engineering in the College of Engineering;
  • Casey Svehlak of Arnold, Md., a junior majoring in marketing management in the Pamplin College of Business;
  • Adam Van Dyke of Raleigh, N.C., a first-year student majoring in building construction in the College of Architecture and Urban Studies; and
  • Joel Wagner of Hardy, Va., sophomore majoring in business in the Pamplin College of Business.

Written by Kelsey George. George, of Charlotte, N.C., is a senior double-majoring in communications and interdisciplinary studies in the College of Liberal Arts and Human Sciences.

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