FORT LAUDERDALE (CBSMiami.com) – When Sports Illustrated Kids began looking for its 2011 Kid of the Year; a South Florida student who loves to wakeboarding rapidly rose through the ranks.

Wednesday, everything paid off when Sports Illustrated Kids selected North Broward Preparatory School eighth-grader Noah Flegel as its Sports Illustrated Kid of the Year.

Noah won the International Waterski and Wakebaord Federation World Title in Milan, Italy; the World Wakeboard Association World Championship in Indianapolis; and the WWA National Championship in Minneapolis.

As a result of winning the contest, Noah will be on the cover of the December Issue of SIKids and will be honored at SI’s annual sportsman of the year awards. He will also be featured on Cartoon Network’s “Hall of Fame” in Los Angeles.