Senior offensive tackle Cameron Fleming became the third Stanford football player to announce he will enter the 2014 NFL Draft.
Fleming made it official on Tuesday, joining teammates David Yankey and Ed Reynolds, both of whom made known similar plans prior to the Jan. 15 deadline for draft-eligible underclassmen to petition for early entry for the NFL Draft.
“I want to thank my coaches, teammates and the Stanford family for a spectacular four years at a wonderful university,” Fleming said. “I would also like to give special thanks to the professors in the aeronautics and astronautics department.”
Fleming is on pace to graduate with a degree in aeronautics and astronautics this spring.
Fleming started at right tackle in each of Stanford’s 14 games during the 2013 season, helping pave the way for the Cardinal to rush for a school-record 2,904 yards. Fleming was an All-Pac-12 second team performer while also earning all-conference nods from the Sporting News.
Fleming and the Stanford offensive line ranked seventh nationally for fewest tackles for loss allowed/game (4.14) and 11th nationally for fewest sacks allowed/game (1.14).
Fleming opened plenty of gaps for running back Tyler Gaffney to rush for over 100 yards in nine games.
Stanford’s offensive line was whistled for just three holding calls all year.
Men’s tennis
Stanford downed visiting Pacific, 6-1, Tuesday afternoon at Taube Family Tennis Stadium in the season opener for both teams.
Stanford won the doubles point, clinching it at the top spot with John Morrissey and Maciek Romanowicz earning a 6-4 victory.
Anthony Tsodikov, who compiled a team-best 8-3 record during the fall season, continued his strong play with a 6-2, 6-0 triumph at No. 6.
Trey Strobel followed with a 6-3, 6-4 win on court five to give Stanford a 3-0 advantage. Romanowicz provided the clincher with a 6-4, 6-4 victory at the No. 3 position.
Pacific collected its only point at the No. 1 spot as Sem Verbeek out-dueled Morrissey, 6-4, 4-6, 6-2.
Stanford is back in action this weekend, competing at the Sherwood Cup in Thousand Oaks.
Track and field
Both of Stanford’s indoor track and field teams are ranked among the top 20 in the USTFCCCA preseason rankings just released.
The Cardinal women enter the season, which begins Saturday, at No. 9 and the men are No. 20. The teams open at the Indoor Preview meet at University of Washington’s Dempsey Indoor facility, at 8 a.m.
The Stanford women are bolstered by the presence of Justine Fedronic and Kathy Kroeger, first-team outdoor All-Americans who are in the final season of Stanford eligibility, meaning that the indoor season will mark the end of their collegiate careers.
Fedronic is the Stanford recordholder in the 800 meters and placed third in the NCAA outdoors last season, and Kroeger is an eight-time All-America who is regaining form after missing much of the 2013 indoor and outdoor seasons because of injury.
In all, the Cardinal returns seven All-Americans, including five runners who have earned individual All-America honors: Fedronic, Kroeger, 2013 Pac-12 cross country champion Aisling Cuffe, three-time All-America Jessica Tonn, and U.S. outdoor 800 finalist Amy Weissenbach.
The Stanford men return 2013 NCAA indoor mile finalists Tyler Stutzman (fourth) and MPSF champion Michael Atchoo (eighth) in addition to three of the four members of its school record-setting distance medley relay team: Stutzman, Luke Lefebure, and Atchoo. The team could be even stronger with 2012 Olympic finalist Steven Solomon running the 400 leg.
Last year, the Stanford men placed 30th in the nation and the women didn’t score at the NCAA indoor meet. But both should greatly improve and make an impact nationally, especially in the distance events.
The NCAA meet is March 14-15 in Albuquerque, N.M.
By Stanford Athletics
By Stanford Athletics
By Stanford Athletics