Women’s Individual Championships
Coming into the individual competition in Denver, the story was Mary McCormick looking for a fourth consecutive title in the Gold division, but it was clear from the beginning that she would have competition. The best of that competition came from Mt. Eden Vaulting Club’s Elizabeth Ioannou. Ioannou (Saratoga, CA) was coming off a team championship win on Saturday, and a strong first round individual score of 8.558, before ensuring herself a National Championship with a fluid freestyle effort in round two, and an overall 8.450. Just enough to get the better of McCormick (Woodside, CA) who finished second, and Emily Hogye (Ben Lomond, CA) in third. Ioannou vaulted on Jan Garrod’s 13-year-old Oldenburg gelding Urfreund Rosengaard and was lunged by Emma Seely.
(video courtesy of JC Enterprises Vaulting Videos - http://vaultingvideos.com - Official Videographer of the AVA National Vaulting Championships)
In the Bronze division 10-year-old Kristen Kuhn (San Mateo, CA), also of the Woodside Vaulters vaulting club, won the National Championship while vaulting on Limerick and being lunged by Krista Mack.
Men’s Individual Championships
In the Male Gold division Kristian Roberts of Half Moon Bay, California, and representing the Half Moon Bay Vaulters, successfully defended his title with strong performances that scored above seven in both rounds. Vaulting on Jill Palmer’s Shire/Thoroughbred cross gelding Hudson, and lunged by Carolyn Bland, Roberts earned a total score of 7.498. Following him in second with a 6.983 was Eric Garcia (Novato, CA) of the Tambourine Vaulters, and in third with a 6.808 was Gabe Aniello (Redwood City, CA).
(video courtesy of JC Enterprises Vaulting Videos - http://vaultingvideos.com - Official Videographer of the AVA National Vaulting Championships)
Bronze division National Championship honors went to Daniel Janes also of Stanwood, Washington’s Warm Beach Vaulters. Janes vaulted on Patti Skipton’s 15-year-old Belgian gelding Promise and was lunged by Elise Valsquier.
Open Pas de Deux Championship
Sisters Kimberly and Cassidy Palmer (Half Moon Bay, CA) of Half Moon Bay vaulted on Sydney Frankel’s 16-year-old Percheron gelding Cheval to a 7.836 final score, and into the USEF Open Pas de Deux National Championship. The sister beat out Leah Coe (Golden, CO) and Kristy Nicolo (Hebron, CT) in second place and Kalli Roberts (Silvana, WA) and Daniel Janes in third.
USEF Team Vaulting Championships were awarded earlier in the week. To read about them click here.
For more about the USEF/AVA National Vaulting Championships go to http://www.americanvaulting.org/Nationals2013/.
Follow U.S. vaulters here.