The South was pleased to host the Esynchro National Age Group Championships in Gainesville, Florida. We hope everyone enjoyed their visit to the sunny south and we would particularly like to thank the Gainesville Sports Organizing Committee for their hospitality and most efficient organization of the housing and facilities for the meet. We thank Betsy Visniski Caza of the University of Florida Gator Synchro for the wonderful job she did in making everything move so smoothly and providing so many amiable volunteers. The meet was true to the southern tradition of ease and hospitality and to the synchro tradition of grace under pressure. I'd say she deserves a 10 in both technical merit and artistic impression.

Our Junior/Senior Zone Championships were held this year in San Antonio at the University of the Incarnate Word, hosted by Kim Wurzel. We are so happy to have such a nice facility as an addition to our competitive sites and Kim hosted a great meet with the help of the Cygnets. The Senior Zone Championships were held in Arlington, Va and Kris Olson and the Nerieds' organization proved once again their excellent talents in making a meet run smoothly. We had an increased attendance at both zone meets this year and an increase in the level of competition.

I am pleased to announce that our Zone Contributor of the Year is Mr. Dave Olson, whom, I am sure, the entire body of USA Synchro knows and loves for his tireless energies and devotion. His wonderful wit and thorough technical skills always keep us energized and organized as we accomplish each competition with flawless precision. The Zone Coach of the Year is Megan Deatherage of the Pirouettes of Texas as we recognize the importance of an assistant coach who devotes full-time effort to the success of her team. And our Spirit Award chosen by the athletes is Meredith Cooke of Suncoast Waterworks. Congratulations to all of our recipients.

We had, what seems to me, to be an extremely fast year, filled with triumph and loss. Along with the North, we mourn the loss of a dear friend to us all, Marian Kretchmer. In addition, we lost two of our most stalwart and feisty individuals, Emma Gene Edwards and Harry Forbes. We miss them every day, every meet, every convention and so I remember and salute them now.

Pat Easterling