Samantha Peszek bound for UCLA

Samantha Peszek will compete for UCLA.

She’s the first member of the 2008 women’s Olympic team to announce NCAA gymnastics intentions.

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) – Olympic silver medalist Samantha Peszek is heading west.

The gymnast announced Tuesday that she will attend UCLA and compete for the Bruins, beginning in the fall of 2010. Peszek, 17, is currently a junior at Cathedral High School in Indianapolis.

Peszek was part of the U.S. team that won the silver medal at the Beijing Olympics, as well as the squad that won gold at the 2007 world championships. She was only able to compete on one event in Beijing, the uneven bars in the qualifying round, after badly spraining her ankle during warm-ups.

Peszek is training for this summer’s national championships, and hopes to earn a spot on the world team. Nationals are Aug. 12-15 in Dallas, and the world championships are in October in London.

Peszek’s training partner Bridget Sloan has not made any NCAA commitments. Nastia Liukin, Shawn Johnson, Alicia Sacramone and Chellsie Memmel are all NCAA ineligible.

As to those who almost made the Olympic team, Shayla Worley has committed to Georgia, Ivana Hong is still a little bit young and Jana Bieger has also forfeited her eligibility.

I wonder if Peszek plans to continue as an elite after she goes to college? It worked for UCLA’s Kate Richardson.