Lofty aspirations: DeVeau's School of Gymnastics students Elizabeth McNabb, 14, (left) and Samantha Peszek, 13, are among several local gymnasts competing this week in the Visa Championships. -- Rich Miller / The Star

A trio of female gymnasts with area ties will be performing at the Visa Championships at Conseco Fieldhouse.

Samantha Peszek, Elizabeth McNabb and Bridget Sloan will compete in the junior women sessions at 1 p.m. today and Saturday.

Peszek will be an eighth-grader at St. Simon the Apostle School and trains at DeVeau's School of Gymnastics in Fishers. McNabb also trains at DeVeau's and will be an eighth-grader at Hamilton Southeastern Junior High School. Sloan trains at Sharp's Gymnastics on the Northwestside of Indianapolis and will be an eighth-grader at Tri-West Middle School.

The event helps determine the 2005-06 junior women's national team. The top-scoring 16 girls will make up the junior national team. These girls will go to training camps throughout the year in Texas at the women's national team training center and may also be given assignments to represent the U.S. at international competitions.

Recent Carmel High School graduate Cameron Deer was scheduled to compete Wednesday in the junior men's session.