De Simone Commits to Stanford

Spanish standout Lenika de Simone has officially joined the incoming freshman class at Stanford University in Palo Alto, Calif.

De Simone, a European and World Cup medalist, will begin at Stanford this fall. She is favored to be one of two Spanish gymnasts who compete at the Olympic Games this summer.

Born in Florida, de Simone moved to Madrid at 12. She has competed for Spain at four world championships and finished 17th all-around at the 2006 and 2007 World Championships.

Lenika de Simone at the 2007 World Championships

Simone was accepted to Stanford earlier this year but was waiting for clearance from the National Collegiate Athletic Association before signing with the team. Simone made a brief appearance in the 2006 Disney film "Stick It!"

"Lenika is a beautiful gymnast and has the potential to be among the top gymnasts in the country next year," Stanford coach Kristen Smyth said. "She is wonderfully artistic, has gorgeous lines, and will come to Stanford with considerable international experience."

Two other international competitors have also committed to Stanford for the 2008-2009 season: Canada's Alyssa Brown and the Czech Republic's Nicole Pechancova.

The 2008 Women's NCAA Championships begin Thursday in Athens, Ga. The University of Georgia is the three-time defending team champion.