Speeding Through the Dog Days of Summer: AKC Agility League Announces Champs of 13th Season

New York, NY- The American Kennel Club (AKC®), a not-for-profit organization that is the world’s largest registry of purebred and mixed-breed dogs, and a leading voice for canine welfare and responsible ownership, is excited to announce the champions of the AKC Agility League’s summer season! The League recently concluded its 13ᵗʰ season and honored its top teams and competitors.

Team champions were named in each of the ten divisions. AKC Agility League offers three 12-week long seasons a year. Teams, composed of three to eight dogs, run six courses each season. There are three field size divisions: Extended (100 X 100 min.); Regulation (70 X 100 min.); and Limited (50 X 70 min.) and five skill levels: Ph.D. (International); Senior (Masters/Excellent); Sophomore (Open); Freshman (Novice); and Elementary (Pre-Novice).

37 states were represented by League team participants this past season, including Alaska and Hawaii. The winners of the Limited Senior Class, ISU Cyclone Warning, work in a unique program at Iowa State University, where students are taught dog training and behavior while helping rescue dogs. Next season, they plan to have an all-student team.

“The spirit of the AKC Agility League is unmatched and speaks to the energy and drive of the League’s amazing participants,” says Penny Leigh, AKC Agility League Director. “Congratulations to the summer season champs! We can’t wait for the seasons to come.”

This season’s team champions are:

Extended Ph.D. – Michigan Border Patrol – The team captain is Debbie McLean, and the team runs at The Bark Barn in Fenton, Michigan. Team members are:

• Kathy Petroni & Border Collie, Grand Oakes Start Me Up NA NAJ

• Hannah Smith & Working Kelpie, Zephyr's Tamed A Raptor AX MXJ NF CGC TKA

• Julie Oakes & Border Collie, Grand Oakes Sticky Feet MX MXJ

• Debbie McLean & English Cocker Spaniel, Kacadu Wot Was Ithinkin MX MXJ

• Elizabeth Petschar & Border Collie, Grand Oakes Now Or Never RN FDC MX MXJ CGC TKI

• Bailey Preston & Border Collie, Grand Oakes Center Of Attention MX MXJ OF BCAT CGCA CGCU TKP VHMA

• Juliet Weissberg & Border Collie, Grand Oakes' Hero, Yowza! CD MX MXB MXJ MJB MXF

• April Beale & Border Collie, Grand Oakes Life Gave You Lemons MX MXJ OF

Regulation Ph.D. – TAG Summa Zoom Laude – The team captain is Adriana Nottestad, and the team runs at Fly High Agility in Knightdale, North Carolina. Team members are:

• Emma Litman & English Cocker Spaniel, Nohea Making an Appearance at Fly High SWA SCE SIE SEE

• Adriana Nottestad & All-American Dog, Endgame's I'm a Shark

• Catherine Holmes & Border Collie, Sloane Ranger

• Liz Burke & Border Collie, Quicksilver Too Hot to Roll NA SWN CGC

• Preston Adcock & English Cocker Spaniel, Everwind the Whistlepig Says Spring

• Heather Werner & Beauceron, The False God Beelzebub Du Feu Eternel OA AXJ XF SWN SIA TKE

Regulation Senior – Woof Das – The team captain is Cassy Janssen, and the team runs at Grand Forks Dog Training Club in Grand Forks, North Dakota. Team members are:

• Kaydi Grunhovd & All-American Dog, It’s in the Sauce MX MXJ MJB XF T2B BCAT ACT1J

• Kaydi Grunhovd & Border Collie, Hob Nob Little Miss Mayhem MX MXJ MJB MXF T2B2 BCAT CGC TKI

• Jill Swingen & Miniature American Shepherd, GCH CH Knee High's Trend Setter RA FDC AX MXJ OF BCAT ACT1 SIN SEN CGC TKN

• Cassy Janssen & Miniature American Shepherd, GCH CH 74 Ranch Barrel Aged N Smoked RN NA OAJ NF BCAT SCN

• Kaydi Grunhovd & Labrador Retriever, MACH2 Rebel Just for Kixx MXS MJS2 PJD MJP MFS TQX T2B5 DCAT ACT2

Limited Senior – ISU Cyclone Warning – The team captain is Karen Moore, and the team runs at the Iowa State University Team Yard in Ames, Iowa. Team members are:

• Karen Moore & Border Collie, AGCH MACH5 Brighteye N South Street's It's About Chime MXG2 PAD MJC2 PJD MJ

• Cheryl Morris & Australian Shepherd, Boyd Ranch Codigo Blue Steel AX MXJ OF CGC TKN

• Kristin Weichman & All-American Dog, MACH Moohollow Us Luca MXB MJB NJP MXF TQX T2B ACT2 ACT2J

• Karen Moore & Border Collie, MACH2 On Target's Which Way Now? MXG PAD MJG MFB TQX T2B3 BCAT

• Terry Ryan & Border Collie, MACH2 Rival's Race to the Finish MXB2 MJC PJD MFG T2B4

• Cheryl Morris & Border Collie, Newfire Karma's You Can Fli RN NA NF BCAT ACT2 CGC TKI

• Cheryl Morris & All-American Dog, PACH Desert Sundog MX MXJ MJB MXP3 MXPB MJP3 MJPB PAX OF T2B SIN SEN

Regulation Sophomore – Creekside Cracker Jacks – The team captain is Nikki Hall, and the team runs at Their Place in Morgantown, West Virginia. Team members are:

• Tracy Horn & All-American Dog, Quicksilver's Chchch Changes OA OAJ MXF DCAT

• Carolyn Lathrop & Border Collie, Jailbreak's on the Lamb UD OA OAJ MXF

• Darlene Schmucker & Papillon, Tresor's There's Only One of B&D OA OAJ XF FCAT FTN

• Jackie Kane & Border Collie, Cedar Runnin Against the Wind CDX BN RM OA OAJ MXF DCAT CGCA TKN ATT

• Tammy Rubright & Shetland Sheepdog, Brandamike Sunshiny Day

• Michelle Yackovich & Shetland Sheepdog, Wickett Vincenzo CD BN RE NA OAJ OF CA FCAT CGCA CGCU TKI FTA

• Beverly Sanders & Cocker Spaniel, Beachstone's 'Hunny' Comb NA AXJ OF FCAT2 CGC TKN FITB

• Annette Sovastion & Papillon, Chateau's Master Yoda-Jedi Knight OA OAJ XF BCAT CGCU TKI

Limited Sophomore – Splashdown’s 2A 2BC –The team captain is Nanci Miller, and the team runs at Splashdown Dog Sports in Bainbridge, New York. Team members are:

• Victoria Anderson & Australian Shepherd, Rising Star’s Auggie RN NA SWA SEE CGC TKI

• Nanci Miller & Border Collie, Windy Ridge March to the Highlands SWN SIE SEE SBA TKI

• Susan Watson & Border Collie, Orla O'Shea FDC NA NAJ TKN

• Victoria Anderson & Australian Shepherd, Propwash Elsmere Rosie SWN SCA SEA CGC TKI

Regulation Freshman – Strider and the Shining Twins – The team captain is Audrey Vojtech, and the team runs at Flint Creek Dogs Inc. in Antioch, Illinois. Team members are:

• Audrey Vojtech & All-American Dog, On Target's Jungle Juice NF TKI

• Monique Engemann & Border Collie, Cedar Rise of the Sun King CGCA CGCU STR TKA FITB

• Timothy Vojtech & All-American Dog, On Target's Snitches Get Stitches OA AXJ OF

Limited Freshman – Rubber City Real Rebels – The team captain is Brianna Stevens, and the team runs at Akron All-Breed Training Club in Akron, Ohio. Team members are:

• Robin Gray & All-American Dog, Splashback's Ms Marvel

• Brianna Stevens & German Shorthaired Pointer, Breezeway's Nashville Barefoot in the Country BCAT

• Roberta Sajovec & All-American Dog, Sajovec's All Tuckered Out RN DCAT CGCA CGCU TKI FITB

Regulation Elementary – Cookie Rookies – The team captain is Nikki Hall, and the team runs at Their Place in Morgantown, West Virginia. Team members are:

• Cheryl Burns & Papillon, Abigail Grace Walker CGC STR TKN

• Lindsay Johannes & All-American Dog, Johannes' Lucy RN SWD SWM CGCA CGCU TKN

• Darlene Schmucker & Papillon, GCH CH Grandemaison Tresor's Ode A Shay BCAT

• Tamara Cline & Border Collie, CH Korsakov's Touchstone RN FDC CA BCAT CGC ATT FITB

• Diane Serlo & Border Collie, Ammardan Snappy Danser BCAT

• Stacy Holler & Shetland Sheepdog, Legacies Pocket Full of Sunshine FDC CAX FCAT5 CGC TKI FITG

• Stacy Holler & Shetland Sheepdog, Legacies I've Got Sunshine RE FDC CA FCAT CGCA STR TKI FITG

Limited Elementary – Agility Kopek Mini – The team captain is Ipek Sevgur, and the team runs at Dog Agility & Café in Hooksett, New Hampshire. Team members are:

• Caitlin O’Neil & Australian Shepherd, Cocoa

• Eve Fogarty & Chihuahua, Fogarty Hill Kavya ACT1 ACT2J

• Eve Fogarty & Chihuahua, Fogarty Hill Nikera ACT1 ACT1J CGC TKA

• Will Lynch & Pembroke Welsh Corgi, Elf's Run Vinny

Enrollment for the AKC Agility League fall season is currently underway. Competition launches on September 14ᵗʰ! For more information, click here. Questions? Contact AgilityLeague@akc.org.