Jake Abelson and Samantha Hoops are the 2024 Boys 5 and Girls 5 AWSA National Overall Scholarship recipients. The scholarships are awarded annually at the Goode Water Ski National Championships to the overall winners of each of the Boys and Girls Divisions.
The USA Water Ski & Wake Sports Foundation holds the scholarships in escrow until these young people attend the college or university of their choice.
Jake Abelson of Holderness, New Hampshire, won the 2024 Boys 5 National Overall Points Award and the $2000 Dr. JD Morgan Boys 5 Scholarship.
Jake won jump and tricks and placed second in slalom to win that title. He graduates from high school in 2026.
Jake also won the Boys 4 Scholarship in 2023 and 2022, the Boys 3 Scholarship in 2021, and the Boys 2 Scholarship in 2019.
These scholarships will all add up to a healthy amount of money for his college education.
Samantha Hoops of Coatesville, Indiana, won the 2024 Girls 5 National Overall Points Award and the $2000 Linda Giddens Girls 5 Scholarship.
Samantha has never won the overall title before and will use her scholarship immediately. She will attend the University of Louisiana—Monroe this fall and plans to major in Nursing and compete on the water ski team. We love to see these young people stay on the water as they grow up!
"This scholarship will assist me greatly related to the cost of my education. I hope to continue to get better as an overall skier, and these funds will provide me the chance to continue to train and not have to get a part-time job this semester," says Samantha.
Samantha and Jake both competed in the U18 age division at the 2024 U.S. Water Ski National Championships at Ski West Village near Bakersfield, California.
Established in 1968, the USA Water Ski & Wake Sports Foundation celebrates the history of all towed water sports and promotes these sports through our Scholarships, Collegiate Grant Program, and the Water Ski & Wake Sports Hall of Fame. For a list of all of our scholarships and scholarship winners since 1982, go to our website: https://www.usa-wwf.org/ourscholarships
Email questions to: scholarshipadmin@waterskihalloffame.com
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