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February 3, 2011

ULM's wakeboarding team takes Team of Year honors

Alliance Wake has named the University of Louisiana at Monroe Warhawk Wake Team its 2010 Collegiate Team of the Year.

The group, established by ULM Wake Team President Nick McDonald in 2009, has become extremely organized and active after just two short years.

"It was kind of a funny way to get started," said McDonald, a senior and ULM native. "I got pressure from former Presidents Adam Silcio of LSU and Ory Comeaux of Louisiana Lafayette, and finally decided we had very strong competitors of our own, right here at ULM. "

In its second year of competition, the ULM Wakeboard team landed 13th in the country.

Warhawk Wake hosted the first wakeboarding event on Bayou DeSiard last year, the first collegiate wakeboarding event to be hosted on a college campus.

The team is fundraising for an upcoming trip to Long Beach, Calif., where they will compete in Empire Wake's Collegiate Wake Series Championships will be held.

"We compete several times a year," said McDonald. "Usually around three to four times a semester. We plan to host two events this academic year, and we also attend other wakeboarding events all year long that are not competitions."

The club receives support from Swamp Sports Watersports, B&L Marine, The Townsend Family, The Birch Family and the ULM sports club staff.

Shannon Banks, an instructor of Toxicology at ULM, serves the team as faculty advisor.

Other team members include: Treasurer Mandi Simmons of Bossier; Vice President Cody Yarbrough of Sulphur; Cade Lawhon, Kaylnn Oswalt, Heather Blackman and Kendall Bridwell, all of Monroe;

Cody Townsend, Joel Barfield, Ben Burch, and Garrett Wilkerson, all of West Monroe;

Trevor Hall of Sanger, Texas; Nick Fisher of Chatham; Hunter Martin of Vidalia; Jared Hayes of Stonewall; Vic Sanchez of Houston; Joshua Brasher of Calhoun; Kalynn Osbon of Pioneer; Denise Myers of Perry, Mo.; and Bridget Millet of Paulina.

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