The 2009 AVA cumulative awards have been announced and we are pleased to find four of our vaulters have been recognized this year.
Rebecca Herrera, 16, says "Vaulting is my life". She is the AVA Zone 1 Bronze high point winner for 2009 and has been vaulting with Valley View Vaulters for five years. She and her sister, Rachel Hererra, started vaulting when their father became tired of watching them ride around in circles and found Valley View, just a few miles down the road. The rest of her life includes 10th grade at Crescenta Valley High School, gymnastics at the local YMCA, and riding and jumping Snoopy and Hornblower in her spare time. She has advanced to the Silver Division.
Rachel Herrera, 14, is the Zone 1 Copper high point winner for 2009, altogether a great year for the Herrera girls. Both girls had the 2nd highest points nationally in their divisions. Altogether a great year for the Herrera girls. She also took second place at the 2009 AVA/USEF National Vaulting Championships in Lexington Kentucky in the Copper Division. She currently competing in the Bronze division and working on a spectacular mount. In her spare time she is in 9th grade at Crescenta Valley High School, rides and jumps Hornblower and Sparky, and does gymnastics at the Y.
Geoffrey Woolson, 13, was the Zone 1, 3rd place highpoint winner for 2009. He has been vaulting with Valley View Vaulters for four years and started when his sister, Kaitlin, joined Valley View. He was the 1st recipient of the Antal Balogh Memorial Scholarship which allowed him to go to the 2007 AVA/USEF National Vaulting Championships. There he was the reserve National Champion in the Preliminary Trot Division. He was also a member of the 3rd place Trot Team in 2008. He is an 8th grader at Mount Gleason Middle School in Tujunga, California. In his spare time he enjoys Airsoft, X-Box, hiking, camping, and spending time with his animals.
Ian Fraim, 13, is the Zone 1 high point winner in the Copper Men's Division for 2009. He was also high point 2nd place winner nationally for 2009. He has been vaulting with Valley View for two years, after moving to Southern California and leaving Albuquerque Vaulters in New Mexico, He was the High point national champion in 2007 in the Trot Division and Reserve National Champion in Preliminary Trot in 2006 at the AVA/USEF National Vaulting Championships. He was also Zone 4 Champion in 2007 in the Trot Division. He is a 7th grader at Carpinteria Middle School in California. In his spare time he loves to fish, skateboard, and takes care of a multitude of animals.