We are excited to have two pairs from Texas headed to the World Age Group Competition in Baku in March 2022! Get to know them and read about their acro journeys below!
Ally & Ayla – Jr Elite 12-18 Women’s Pair
Photo by Lisa Estep 2022
Ally Stone
Allyson Stone started off her gymnastics career at the age of 7 with artistic gymnastics as well as acrobatics soon to follow that same year. She competed in both sports for 8 years then transitioned to strictly acrobatics in 2019 when she moved to AGSA from TAAG. She has been a women’s pair top, mixed pair top, trio base, and women’s pair base. She competed in Spain as a mixed pair top and brought home 3 silver medals and a bronze. This is her second World Age Group Championship in this same partnership. Some of the most influential coaches in her life have been Anna Smirnova, Valeriy Goncharov, Iryna Goncharova, and Vladimir Vladev.
Ayla Vargas
In 2018, Ayla started doing tumbling classes at AGSA with coach Michael, but while doing her classes, she would always point at what she called the ‘’big girls’’, and say, “ I want to do what they are doing instead!” She was referring to the AGSA acrobatic team, so in 2019 she started doing level 7, then 2020 moved forward with level 8 which she didn’t continue because of the pandemic. Even so, she never stopped doing her warm up everyday and focusing more and more on acro, watching videos of “ the big girls” until she started learning skills on her own. In that moment her family understood that acro was her passion. Since then, she moved up to Jr Elite 12-18 WP and at that level earned a spot on US National team ( 2021 ) to compete in the WAGC in Geneva. Now, in 2022, she is getting ready for her second WAGC in Baku. We are so excited that she loves what she is doing and is proudly representing the USA at her level!
Fun fact: Ayla loves cooking and baking!
Trent & Bethany – Jr Elite 12-18 Mixed Pair
Photo by Lisa Estep 2022
Trent Stoker
Trent’s acro career started off a little bumpy since he broke both his arms shortly after his first mock meet. That didn’t stop him from being a National Champion the following year and then earning a spot on the US National team the year after that. This week, he prepares for his second WAGC and is excited to again represent the US as a Jr. Elite MXP.
Fun fact: Trent has won the ugly leo contest at his gym 3 years in a row.
Bethany Strawn
Bethany started her acro journey when she was five years old in California! She moved to Texas in 2020 to follow her dreams of going to worlds as a top. She is now in a 12-18 mixed pair going to worlds. This is her eighth season in acro, and a few years ago she did aerial arts, too!
Fun fact: I can almost pop every bone in my body.