Meade named in NZ juniors for Peru trip

Wanganui's Lily Meade, training on Lake Wiritoa, will be in the New Zealand team off to the Under 17 world championships in January. PHOTO/STEVE CAUDWELL

Wanganui teenage waterskier Lily Meade will add another continent to her lists of destinations after she has been named in the New Zealand team to compete at the 2014 Junior Water Ski World Championships in Peru in January.

Just turned 14, Meade was named in the four-strong squad this week by NZ Water Tournament Water Ski Association chairman of selectors Kevin Firth.

She is the youngest and only female member.

Father Simon Meade said his daughter earned her spot after an extremely successful 2013-14 summer season.

At April's Water Ski Nationals in Auckland, she made a clean sweep of the Under 14 Junior Girls' division, winning the gold medals in slalom, trick, and jump, and therefore the best overall title.

Likewise at regional and club level, Meade made clean sweeps, setting regional records in all three disciplines for not only the Under 14 girls, but also Under 17.

It has been a busy year, said Simon Meade.

"She recently returned from competing in the Asia Oceania championships in Perth, Western Australia, and also spent five weeks skiing in Florida with 24-time tricks world record holder Cory Pickos, at his Santa Rosa Beach Ski School facility."

Meade was in the New Zealand team for their annual test against Australia, finishing second in the trick ski and third overall.

The Wanganui High School student was recognised with the junior sportswoman award at the Wanganui Secondary Schools Sports Awards last week.

Older brother Brent also competes at a high level, having represented New Zealand, and more recently winning bronze at the junior boys' jump event in April's nationals.

While consistency has kept her in the national setup, a trip to Peru was not on Meade's or anybody else's radar until world events took a different turn.

The junior championships had originally been scheduled for August in the Ukrainian city of Dnepropetrovsk.

However, after the crisis with Russia, the International Waterski & Wakeboard Federation (IWWF) announced the Ukraine Federation had cancelled the hosting, and they had to find another location.

"The organisers had hoped that the situation would calm down well before the tournament was scheduled to take place," the IWWF statement read. "Unfortunately this is not the case, and with the political situation as it is, it was better to make the decision now rather than wait any longer."

The event will now be held on Lake Bujama, near Peru's capital city of Lima, January 8-11.

Among the entrants, the United States is sending their junior team, while several independent American waterskiers will also compete.

The United States are the defending world team champions.

The Wanganui Water Ski Club is having its opening day this Sunday. Meade will be back from Peru in time to compete at their annual Gold Star event on Lake Wiritoa, January 17-18.