First Ever Nastia Liukin Supergirl Cup Announces Winner

WORCESTER, Mass., March 6 /PRNewswire/ -- At the inaugural Nastia Liukin Supergirl Cup held yesterday at the DCU Center in Worcester, Mass., Lexie Priessman of Cincinnati, Ohio, won the all-around title with Kassandra Lopez of Tucson, Ariz., and Diandra Milliner of Andover, Kansas, finishing in second and third, respectively. Competing were 36 gymnasts who traveled from 17 states across the country to participate.  Proceeds from the event benefit the Nastia Liukin Fund, a charitable fund within the National Gymnastics Foundation.

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"It was such an honor to compete here today," said Priessman. “I am very happy that I hit four-for-four and accomplished my goal. I am so thankful for this wonderful opportunity; it was a dream for me to meet Nastia!"

“We had an amazing group of talented gymnasts participate in my first ever Supergirl Cup,” said Nastia Liukin, 2008 Olympic all-around champion. “I congratulate Lexie, Kassandra, and Diandra for their incredible performances today. They serve as an inspiration to the Supergirl in all of us.”

Priessman, who trains at Cincinnati Gymnastics Academy, won the all-around with a total score of 38.400.  Her individual event scores were:  9.750, vault; 9.450, uneven bars; 9.725, balance beam; and 9.475, floor exercise.  Lopez finished just 0.725 behind her.  Lopez, who trains at Gym World East, posted a 9.450 on vault, a 9.425 on the uneven bars, a 9.425 on the balance beam and a 9.375 for the floor exercise.  Milliner rounded out the top three with her total score of 37.400.  Competing for Folgers, she earned 9.850 on vault, 9.350 on bars, 8.650 on beam and 9.550 on floor.

The 36 young women were chosen to compete in the Nastia Liukin Supergirl Cup based on performances at the 15 invitationals that comprised the Nastia Liukin Cup Series.  Each invitational selected a minimum of two athletes from the respective Level 10/open fields.  The Nastia Liukin Supergirl Cup is a partnership between Warner Bros. Consumer Products, USA Gymnastics and Liukin. Always aware of how much life has given her and determined to give back, Liukin is proud to host an event that helps fund the Nastia Liukin Fund.  The Nastia Liukin Supergirl Cup and the accompanying Nastia Liukin Cup Series provide a unique competitive opportunity for the country’s rising female gymnasts.

With her desire to be a positive role model for young girls, Liukin enjoyed meeting the young gymnasts to share the Supergirl vision -- with hard work, belief in yourself, and commitment to a dream -- anything is possible. The Nastia Liukin Supergirl Cup participants received a Nastia Liukin-designed leotard and a warm-up from GK Elite; two tickets to the Tyson American Cup and recognition during that event for the Cup’s medalists. For more information, go to: www.nastialiukinsupergirlcup.com.

2010 Nastia Liukin Supergirl Cup Field

Worcester, Mass.

March 5, 2010

Final Results

All-Around

1. Lexie Priessman, Cincinnati, Ohio, 38.400
2. Kassandra Lopez, Tucson, Ariz., 37.675
3. Diandra Milliner, Andover, Kansas, 37.400

Nastia Liukin: At the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing, Liukin’s total of five medals tied the U.S. gymnastics record for most medals in one Olympic Games, currently held by Mary Lou Retton (1984) and Shannon Miller (1992). Liukin’s medals are: gold – all-around; silver – team, balance beam and uneven bars; and bronze – floor exercise. Liukin is just the third U.S. woman to win the Olympic all-around crown. Liukin has nine world medals to her credit. Liukin and her teammates on the 2007 U.S. Women’s World Championships Team were selected as the 2007 U.S. Olympic Committee's Team of the Year. Following her success in Beijing, Nastia was named the International Gymnastics Federation Athlete of the Year, Women’s Sports Foundation Individual Sportswoman of the Year, and the United States Sports Academy’s Female Athlete of the Year. In 2009, she was named USAG Athlete of the Year, USAG Sportswoman of the Year and won an ESPY for Female Athlete of the Year. With an undeniable presence on and off the mat, Nastia has secured a multitude of promotional partnerships including Covergirl, Visa, AT&T, Herbal Essences, Pure Sport, Secret, Sega and the cover of the Wheaties box. Nastia has appeared in several television projects such as the hit TV series, Gossip Girl; the documentary, USA Gymnastics: Behind the Team; and the feature film, Stick It. She was also chosen as one of 2009’s most influential women by MSN Lifestyle.

Warner Bros. Consumer Products: Warner Bros. Consumer Products, a Warner Bros. Entertainment Company, is one of the leading licensing and retail merchandising organizations in the world.

DC Comics: DC Comics, a Warner Bros. Entertainment Company, is the largest English-language publisher of comics in the world and home to such iconic characters as Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman and The Sandman. These DC Super Heroes and others have starred in comic books, movies, television series (both animated and live-action) and cyberspace, thrilling audiences of all ages for generations. DC Comics' Web site is located at www.dccomics.com.

USA Gymnastics: Based in Indianapolis, 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, acrobatic gymnastics and group gymnastics. For more information, log on to www.usa-gymnastics.org.

SUPERGIRL and all related characters and elements are trademarks of and © DC Comics.

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SOURCE Warner Bros. Consumer Products