Ava Hooten signs gymnastic talents on with University of Pennsylvania ...

Waukon High School senior Ava Hooten signed a National Letter of Intent Thursday morning, March 13 to commit her gymnastics talents to the University of Pennsylvania (Penn) in Philadelphia, PA. Pictured at right at the signing event with Ava (seated in front) are (left to right standing in the back) her grandmother, Terry Hooten, and her parents, Adam and Jennifer Hooten of Waterville. Although gymnastics is not an extracurricular activity offered at Waukon High School, Hooten has been training and competing with TNT Gymnastics out of Richland Center, WI throughout her high school career, ultimately attaining Level 10 gymnast status, which is the highest level within the USA Gymnastics Junior Olympics program, representing the final and most challenging stage before potentially progressing to the Elite level eligible to compete in the Olympics. She noted that the USA Gymnastics Women’s Development Program National Championships held last spring in Daytona Beach, FL is where the University of Pennsylvania first expressed recruiting interest in her, making her ultimate dream of not only competing at a NCAA Division I level in gymnastics but doing so at an Ivy League school a possibility that she turned into reality with her recent signing. “I knew I always wanted to attend a school with higher academics, and they (Penn gymnastics) are the top school in their conference (Ivy League Conference), and I love the campus, the coaches and the team,” Hooten shared about making her collegiate choice. “I also knew I wanted to be in a bigger city with even greater opportunities.” She further explained that in order to be able to be recruited for athletics at an Ivy League school, a student must first be accepted into the school based on their academic achievements. “I am so happy to be able to have my academics lead the way for me,” she said. “With Ivy League schools you have to be accepted into the school first based on your academic standing, and then you can be recruited to be part of the team.” Hooten says she will be pursuing a degree in Biology on a Pre-Dental track in her academic pursuit at Penn. She says her greatest love in gymnastics is competing in the Floor Exercises but she looks forward to every aspect of training and competing at the University of Pennsylvania. “I love competing in the Floor Exercises, so I hope to make a big contribution in Floor,” she noted. “But I will also be training to be able to compete in all of it. I’m just looking forward to the whole experience ahead of me.”