ARACAJU, Brazil, Nov. 6, 2009 – The U.S. Men’s Junior Team won the team silver medal at the 2009 Junior Pan American Championships Friday in Aracaju, Brazil, the Americas’ qualifier for the 2010 Youth Olympic Games, Aug. 10-26, in Singapore. C.J. Maestas of Corrales, N.M., won the silver all-around medal. Maestas and teammates Sam Mikulak of Newport Coast, Calif., and Jake Martin of Oviedo, Fla., each qualified for individual event finals. The women’s competition begins on Nov. 7, with individual event finals on Nov. 8.

Maestas, who trains at Gold Cup Gymnastics, had the top scores in qualifying for pommel horse and still rings, and will also compete in the event finals for horizontal bar, floor exercise and parallel bars. Mikulak, who trains at SCATS, will compete in event finals for floor, vault and parallel bars. Orlando Metro’s Martin will compete on pommel horse.

The host country Brazil produced a strong performance, winning the team competition with a 253.950. The USA finished in second in the team competition, scoring a 253.400, with Colombia rounding out the top three, at 245.950.

In the all-around, Brazil was first and third: Sergio Sasaki won the gold medal (86.850) and Petrix Barbosa earned the bronze (85.000). Maestas took second in the all-around at 86.650, and Mikulak finished fourth at 84.550.

In qualifying for event finals, Maestas had the top scores for pommel horse (14.450) and still rings (14.750). Brazil’s Sasaki posted the best scores on parallel bars, (14.200), floor exercise (14.950), and vault (15.800), shadowed by Mikulak, who was second on parallel bars (14.100), floor exercise (14.400), and vault (15.350). Maestas had the third best scores on parallel bars and floor exercise at 14.050 and 14.250, respectively. The horizontal bar had Brazil’s Barbosa on top at 13.900, while Maestas and Cuba’s Ernesto Vila Sarvi tied for second in qualifying with scores of 13.650.

The U.S. Junior Pan American Women’s Team of Kyla Ross of Aliso Viejo, Calif., Bridgette Caquatto of Naperville, Ill., Alexandra Raisman of Needham, Mass.; and Sabrina Vega of Carmel, N.Y., will compete Saturday in women’s competition.

The Junior Pan American Championships is the continental qualifier for North, South and Central America for the Youth Olympic Games. Six women and five men, with a maximum of one spot per country, will qualify from the event for the Youth Olympics. The gymnasts competing at the Pan American Championships will be qualifying their country to compete in the 2010 Youth Olympic Games. The Junior Pan Am Championships is held every two years, with the last one held in 2007.

Junior Pan American Championships
Aracaju, Brazil
November 6, 2009
Men’s results

Team finals
1. Brazil, 253.950
2. USA, 253.400
3. Colombia, 245.950
4. Canada, 241.050
5. Mexico, 237.700
6. Venezuela, 234.350
7. Cuba, 234.300
8. Puerto Rico, 232.950
9. Argentina, 224.350
10. Peru, 208.350
11. Costa Rico, 100.350

All-around finals
1. Sérgio Sasaki, Brazil, 86.850
2. C.J. Maestas, Corrales, N.M./Gold Cup Gymnastics, 86.650
3. Petrix Barbosa, Brazil, 85.000
U.S. finishes
4. Sam Mikulak, Newport Coast, Calif./SCATS,84.550
11. Jake Martin, Oviedo, Fla./Orlando Metro,80.550
15. Jesse Glenn, Northridge, Calif./SCATS HB,78.150

Individual event finals qualifying scores
Top 8, with maximum of two per country, advance to event finals

Floor Exercise
1. Sérgio Sasaki, Brazil, 14.950
2. Sam Mikulak, Newport Coast, Calif./SCATS,14.400
3. C.J. Maestas, Corrales, N.M./Gold Cup Gymnastics, 14.250
Other U.S. finishers
10. Jake Martin, Oviedo, Fla./Orlando Metro,13.650 (3-way tie)
14. Jesse Glenn, Northridge, Calif./SCATS HB,13.550 (3-way tie)

Pommel Horse
1. C.J. Maestas, Corrales, N.M./Gold Cup Gymnastics, 14.450
2. Jhonny Munoz, Colombia, 14.400
3. Didier Lugo, Colombia, 14.200
Other U.S. finishers
5. Jake Martin, Oviedo, Fla./Orlando Metro,13.900
6. Sam Mikulak, Newport Coast, Calif./SCATS,13.800
22. Jesse Glenn, Northridge, Calif./SCATS HB,11.600

Still Rings
1. C.J. Maestas, Corrales, N.M./Gold Cup Gymnastics, 14.750
2. Petrix Barbosa, Brazil, 14.350
3. Sérgio Sasaki, Brazil, 14.100
Other U.S. finishers
15. Jake Martin, Oviedo, Fla./Orlando Metro,13.350 (4-way tie)
19. Sam Mikulak, Newport Coast, Calif./SCATS,3.300 (2-way tie)

Vault
1. Sérgio Sasaki, Brazil, 15.800
2. Sam Mikulak, Newport Coast, Calif./SCATS,15.350
3. Jaylan Birl, Canada, 15.275
Other U.S. finishers
8. C.J. Maestas, Corrales, N.M./Gold Cup Gymnastics, 14.900
9. Jake Martin, Oviedo, Fla./Orlando Metro,14.825
14. Jesse Glenn, Northridge, Calif./SCATS HB,14.125

Parallel Bars
1. Sérgio Sasaki, Brazil, 14.200
2. Sam Mikulak, Newport Coast, Calif./SCATS,14.100
3. C.J. Maestas, Corrales, N.M./Gold Cup Gymnastics, 14.050
Other U.S. finishers
9. Jake Martin, Oviedo, Fla./Orlando Metro,13.600
14. Jesse Glenn, Northridge, Calif./SCATS HB,13.100 (3-way tie)

Horizontal Bar
1. Petrix Barbosa, Brazil, 13.900
2. C.J. Maestas, Corrales, N.M./Gold Cup Gymnastics, and Ernesto Vila Sarvia, Cuba, 13.650
Other U.S. finishers
8. Sam Mikulak, Newport Coast, Calif./SCATS,13.150
20. Jesse Glenn, Northridge, Calif./SCATS HB,12.200
27. Jake Martin, Oviedo, Fla./Orlando Metro,11.400