Four Local Indiana Gymnasts Qualify for 2005 Visa Championships
July 28, 2005

By USAG

U.S. junior national team member Samantha Peszek of McCordsville, Ind., is one of four gymnasts from the Indianapolis metropolitan area who have qualified for the | 2005 VISA CHAMPIONSHIPS |, the most prestigious national gymnastics competition of the year, Aug. 10-13 at Indianapolis’ Conseco Fieldhouse.

The other three Indianapolis-area gymnasts are Elizabeth McNabb of Fortville, Bridget Sloan of Pittsboro and Cameron Deer of Carmel. Peszek, McNabb and Sloan will compete in the junior women’s competition at 1 p.m. on Thursday, August 11, and Saturday, Aug’ 13. Deer will compete in the men’s junior session on Wednesday, Aug. 10.

About the gymnasts

Peszek, 13, is competing in her second Visa Championships. Last year she finished eighth all-around and earned a spot on the U.S. Women’s Junior National Team as its youngest member. At the recent U.S. Classic, Peszek placed second on vault, third on floor and eighth in the all-around. In the fall of 2004, she was second on vault and tied for fifth all-around in a dual competition with Canada. An 8th grade student at St. Simon the Apostle School this August, Peszek trains at DeVeau’s School of Gymnastics in Fishers with her coaches Peter Zhao and Tom Strange.
USA Gymnastics photo © Steve Lange 2005

   

McNabb, 14, has qualified for her first Visa Championships. Earlier this year, she finished sixth all-around in the Level 10 Junior Olympic National Championships, as well as third on bars, fourth on vault and sixth on beam. She then tested and qualified as an elite level athlete and finished 14th all-around at the U.S. Classic, securing a spot in the Visa Championships. McNabb, who also trains at DeVeau’s School of Gymnastics with Zhao and Strange, will be an 8th grade student at Hamilton Southeastern Junior High School.
USA Gymnastics photo © 2005

   

Sloan, 13, has qualified for her first Visa Championships through her qualification score at a National Team Training Camp. She finished 27th all-around at the U.S. Classic. Sloan trains at Sharp’s Gymnastics in Indianapolis and is coached by Marvin Sharp. She attends Tri West Middle School and will be an 8th grade student this fall.
USA Gymnastics photo © Peter Bick 2005

   

Deer, 18, trains at Indy School of Gymnastics with his coach and stepfather Gene Watson. He qualified to compete is his first Visa Championships via his fourth-place finish at the Men’s Qualifier in Colorado Springs on June 25. A member of the Junior National Development Team in 1999-2000 and the Junior National Team in 2001, he has applied to be a resident athlete at the U.S. Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs, Colo., to continue his gymnastics training. He graduated from Carmel High School in June.
USA Gymnastics photo © 2005

The | 2005 VISA CHAMPIONSHIPS | include men’s and women’s artistic gymnastics, rhythmic gymnastics and acrobatic gymnastics. Artistic gymnastics is held at Conseco Fieldhouse, with rhythmic gymnastics and acrobatic gymnastics staged at the Indiana Convention Center. The men’s field has already been released and the women’s field for the Visa Championships will named later this week.

Tickets for the 2005 Visa Championships may be purchased online at www.ticketmaster.com, over the phone at 317-239-5151 or at the Conseco Fieldhouse box office.

Based in Indianapolis, USA Gymnastics, the national governing body for gymnastics in the United States, encourages participation and the pursuit of excellence in the sport.