Junior Pan American Championships preview

November 2, 8:29 PMGymnastics ExaminerBlythe Lawrence

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The rosters for the 2009 Junior Pan American Championships, which begin this week in Aracaju, Brazil, read much like the leaderboard at the 2009 U.S. Junior Championships.

The women´s team is headlined by Kyla Ross, who just began competing elite in January but has already won three U.S. Junior titles (vault, beam and all-around in Dallas in August). 2009 runner-up Bridgette Caquatto, who trains with Wu Jiani and Li Yuejiu in Naperville, Ill., and Alexandra Raisman, who hails from Brestyan´s (Alicia Sacramone´s gym in Massachusetts) were also named to the four-member women´s team, which is rounded out by New Yorker Sabrina Vega, whose coaches include legendary Romanian Teadora Ungreanu.

The men´s team, named last week, is C.J. Maestas, Sam Mikulak, Jesse Glenn, Jake Martin and alternate Sean Melton. All are up-and-coming junior prospects. Maestas in particular is one to watch -- he´s a real crowd pleaser who has great ability on rings. Maestas was last seen winning the all-around at a friendly meet between the U.S. Junior men and junior teams from Canada and Germany last month.

Mikulak was second at the 2009 U.S. Junior Championships on everything except vault and high bar in the 14-15-year-old age group. Martin and Glenn were third and fourth, respectively, in the all-around.

For Vega, this meet is a chance to redeem herself after not quite living up to expectations at the U.S. Championships, where she finished fourth after shaky performances on balance beam and floor exercise on the first day. For Ross, who doesn´t become eligible for senior competition until 2012, it´s another opportunity to gain experience.

To Caquatto and Raisman, both of whom will be eligible to compete as seniors next year, this is a chance to look good in front of National Team Coordinator Martha Karolyi.

Gymnasts from15 countries are expected to compete at the Junior Pan Ams, which are held every two years. Olivia Courtney, Chelsea Davis, Mattie Larson and Jordyn Wieber all competed for the U.S. at the 2007 Junior Pan Ams, where Larson won the all-around.

Sabrina Vega, 2009 CoverGirl Classic, Floor.