Jordyn Wieber – Jr. All-Around Champion
© Steve Lange

BOSTON, Mass., June 7, 2008 – Jordyn Wieber of Dewitt, Mich./Geddert’s, won the junior all-around title at the 2008 Visa Championships at Agganis Arena at Boston University. Samantha Shapiro of Los Angeles/All Olympia finished second, with Cassie Whitcomb of Cincinnati, Ohio/Cincinnati Gymnastics Academy, in third. The final day of senior women’s competition is today at 3:30 p.m., and NBC Sports is carrying the event live from 4-6 p.m. ET.

“My goal was to hit eight for eight and that’s what I needed to do,” Wieber said. “It feels awesome to win the junior title. I go in the gym everyday and it’s finally paying off.”

Wieber finished with a two-day total of 120.600, with Shapiro and Whitcomb earning scores of 119.050 and 114.600, respectively. Wieber and Shapiro split the individual event titles: Wieber won vault with a score of 29.650 and floor exercise with a 30.300; and Shapiro finished first on uneven bars and balance beam with scores of 30.750 and 31.300, respectively.

“I’m very happy to finish second all-around,” Shapiro said. “My goal was to hit four for four and do the best I could.”

“It feels great to finish third all-around,” Whitcomb said. “I had surgery on my heel in December so this is a really big accomplishment for me.”

The individual event medalists are: vault – Wieber (gold), Asi Peko of Henderson, Nev./Browns-Las Vegas (silver) and Annette Meile of Easton, Pa./Parkettes (bronze); uneven bars – Shapiro (gold), Whitcomb (silver) and Wieber (bronze); balance beam – Shapiro (gold), Wieber (silver) and Kamerin Moore of Bloomfield, Mich./Geddert’s (bronze); and floor exercise – Wieber (gold), Peko (silver) and Amanda Jetter of Milford, Ohio/Cincinnati Gymnastics Academy (bronze).

Wieber maintained her first-day lead throughout the final day of competition. She started the day on floor exercise with a score of 15.250. She then moved to vault, where she did a Yurchenko double full and scored a 14.950. In the third rotation, she hit a nice bar routine complete with a full twisting double layout to score a 15.000. Wieber finished on balance beam and scored a 15.450 on her routine that included a standing full to back tuck and a double pike dismount.

On uneven bars, Shapiro scored a 15.900, the highest score of the day on any event. She has a 6.6 start value on uneven bars and her routine featured clean lines, nice stalder work, a high Yaeger release and a full twisting, double back dismount. She also hit her balance beam routine that includes a front aerial to flip flop layout series and a double pike dismount to score a 15.550, the highest of the day on that event.

The 2008-09 women’s junior national team is comprised of: Briley Casanova of Dallas, Texas/WOGA; Rebecca Clark of Blue Springs, Mo./GAGE; Randi Lau of Honolulu/What’s Up; Hallie Mossett of Los Angeles/All Olympia; Sabrina Vega of Carmel, N.Y./Dynamic; Jetter; Miele; Moore; Peko; Shapiro; Whitcomb; and Wieber.

Scores from both days of competition were combined to determine the U.S. junior champions, and the top 12 gymnasts in the all-around were named to the U.S. Junior National Team.

About Agganis Arena at Boston University
Opened in January 2005, Agganis Arena at Boston University is the next generation in Boston sports and entertainment. It is a state-of-the-art, multipurpose sports and entertainment center. A 290,000-square-foot premier venue with 6,300 seats for hockey and ice shows, the Arena is expandable to over 7,200 seats for concerts, sporting events, and family shows. In addition to exciting Boston University hockey action, Agganis Arena hosts Boston University events, concerts, family shows, sporting events, trade shows and conferences throughout the year.

About the Massachusetts Sports Partnership
The Massachusetts Sports Partnership (MSP) serves as the official sports commission for the Commonwealth. Founded in 1992, MSP is a private, not-for-profit organization which works to attract and support world class sporting events and meetings throughout the Massachusetts.

About USA Gymnastics
Based in Indianapolis, USA Gymnastics is the national governing body for gymnastics in the United States. Its mission is to encourage participation and the pursuit of excellence in the sport. Its disciplines include men’s and women’s artistic gymnastics, rhythmic gymnastics, trampoline and tumbling, and acrobatic gymnastics.

2008 Visa Championships
Agganis Arena at Boston University
Boston, Mass.
June 7, 2008
Final results, junior women

All-around
1. Jordyn Wieber, Dewitt, Mich., 120.600
2. Samantha Shapiro, Los Angeles, Calif., 119.050
3. Cassie Whitcomb, Cincinnati, Ohio, 114.600
4. Asi Peko, Henderson, Nev., 114.350
5. Amanda Jetter, Milford, Ohio, 113.950
6. Rebecca Clark, Blue Springs, Mo., 113.500
7. Kamerin Moore, Bloomfield, Mich., 113.100
8. Randi Lau, Honolulu, Hawaii, 111.100
9. Hallie Mossett, Los Angeles, Calif., 110.900
10. Annette Miele, Easton, Pa., 110.700
11. Sabrina Vega, Carmel, N.Y., 110.400
12. Briley Casanova, Dallas, Texas, 110.050
13. McKenzie Wofford, Spring, Texas, 109.900
14. Sophina DeJesus, Temecula, Calif., 109.650
15. Madeline Hanley, Danielsville, Pa., 109.400
16. Gabrielle Douglas, Virginia Beach, Va., 108.900
16. Kaitlyn Clark, Rancho Cucamonga, Calif., 108.900
18. Morgan Smith, Clermont, Fla., 108.450
19. Brooke Parker, Lorton, Va., 108.200
20. Melissa Metcalf, Mesa, Ariz., 107.750
21. Bridget Caquatto, Naperville, Ill., 107.100
22. Alexis Carroll, Olney, Md., 106.600
22. Desi Borgese, Los Gatos, Calif., 106.600
24. Cassandra Hanley, Danielsville, Pa., 106.050
25. Sophia Lee, Plano, Texas, 104.750
26. Caitlin Atkinson, Houston, Texas, 104.600
27. Elizabeth Price, Coopersburg, Pa., 104.450