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Articles: Press Release
Maitozo and Benjamin Turn in Golden Performances at
2005 USEF/AVA National Vaulting Championships
Megan Benjamin (right), 2005 Women's National
Champion, with coach, Emma Drinker (left) and Faronia.
Credit: Sara Ike, USEF
Contact:
United States Equestrian Federation, Inc.
4047 Iron Works Parkway
Lexington, KY 40511-8483
Tel: (859) 258-2472
Fax (859) 231-6662
Web site: www.usef.org
NEWS RELEASE
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
August 18, 2005
Contact: Sarah Lane (859) 225-6974
Denver, CO - In a crowd-capturing performance, vaulting's revered Devon
Maitozo, of Simi Valley, California, once again claimed the right to the
golden title, as Men's National Champion, at the 2005 USEF/AVA National
Vaulting Championships in Denver, Colorado, August 11-14. Vaulting atop
Mozart, a Warmblood gelding, longed by Carolyn Bland and owned by FACE
Vaulters, Maitozo performed his technical test to John Lennon's
"Imagine," followed by a flawless freestyle performance that left the
panel of five judges with no choice but to reward the pair for the
obvious win.
"My first Nationals win was in 1990," Maitozo recalled fondly. "Being
National Champion again, 15 years later, is a satisfying pinnacle to a
long career. It was great to vault on Mozart; he's my teammate and
partner in this sport."
In the women's Gold Division, Megan Benjamin took the spotlight with
Faronia (Dutch Warmblood gelding, longed by Emma Drinker, owned by Megan
Benjamin) or "Ronin" as he is affectionately known, marking a second win
for the 16-year-old native of Saratoga, California.
"Ronin and I have an amazing partnership," Benjamin said. "When it
works, it really works. I couldn't have done it without him."
In the A Team Division, Mt. Eden Fire, a California based team of six
vaulters: Megan Benjamin, Stephanie Freeman, Alexis Garrod, Elizabeth
Ioannou, Mari Inouye and Rosey Ross, took the win on Comet, owned and
longed by Erik Martonovich.
Results from the 2005 USEF/AVA National Vaulting Championship are as
follows:
Gold Men Overall
1. Devon Maitozo, 29, of Simi Valley, California, Team: FACE, Score:
8.617
2. Blake Dahlgren, 20, of Sun Valley, California, Team: FACE, Score:
8.018
3. Kenny Geisler, 23, of Diamond Bar, California, Team: Diamond Bar,
Score: 7.805
Gold Women Overall
1. Megan Benjamin, 16, of Saratoga, California, Team: Mt. Eden, Score:
8.735
2. Mari Inouye, 21, Palo Alto, California, Team: Mt. Eden, Score: 8.498
3. Samantha Smith, 18, Saratoga, California, Team: Creekside, Score:
8.393
Silver Men Overall
1. Morgan Homan, 14, Salem, Utah, Team: Oak Hills, Score: 6.510
2. Ted Ezell, 18, Petaluma, California, Team: Tambourine, Score: 5.984
Silver Women Overall
1. Katie Haynie, 13, Oak Hill, Virginia, Team: Virginia Vaulters, Score:
7.228
2. Kalyn Noah, 16, Paso Robles, California, Team: Pacific Coast, Score:
7.102
3. Cassidy Palmer, 11, Half Moon Bay, California, Team: Half Moon Bay,
Score: 7.042
Open Pas de Deux Overall
1. Alethea Shelton, 25, Las Vegas, Nevada, Team: Desert Wind, and Erik
Martonovich, 26, Golden, Colorado, Team: Golden Gate, Overall Score:
8.787
A Team Overall
1. Mt. Eden Fire: Megan Benjamin, Stephanie Freeman, Alexis Garrod,
Elizabeth Ioannou, Mari Inouye and Rosey Ross, Score: 7.652
2. Oak Hills-Cambry's Friends and Dream, Score: 7.368
3. Tambourine, Score: 7.365
For additional photographs, contact the official show photographer of
the 2005 USEF/AVA National Vaulting Championship, Sean Stevenson
Photography, by phone at (970) 533-9801.
For complete results, log onto
http://americanvaulting.org/Nationals2005res.html
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