The second-ranked Stanford men’s gymnastics team produced its highest team score (447.700) since the scoring system was adjusted in 2012, and the second-highest score in the nation this season to win a tri-meet that Saturday that also included California (431.550) and Michigan (430.900) at Burnham Pavilion.
The Cardinal recorded team and individual wins in five events, as well as the all-around, where Akash Modi dominated with a score of 90.350.
The Cardinal (9-0, 4-0 MPSF) opened with a red-hot performance on floor, posting a season-best 76.000. Modi led the way for Stanford with a 15.7000 while teammates Jacob Barrus (14.800) and Ryan Sheppard (15.400) each posted career bests.
Modi kept things rolling for Stanford, adding another individual title with a career- best 15.500 on pommel horse. Brian Knott followed with a 15.100 to tie his season-best en route to Stanford winning the event with a 73.900, matching its season best.
On rings, Ryan Sheppard posted a 14.700, Modi set a season-best with a 14.600, and event winner Dennis Zaremski added his third individual rings title with a 15.200.
Season bests abounded on the vault, with Robert Neff (14.550), Sheppard (14.750), Modi (14.900) and Gabe Flores (14.950) setting or tying personal bests.
The success continued on parallel bars, with a season-best team score of 76.900. Three Cardinal’s scored 15 or higher in the event and Modi went a season-best 16.050 to take the individual title.
Stanford came through on nearly all of its landings on high bar as the first three Cardinal gymnasts posted scores of 15.150 for a three-way tie for first.
The Cardinal jumps back into action next Saturday when it travels to Minneapolis to face Minnesota and Iowa.
Men’s tennis
No. 18 Stanford suffered another heartbreaking loss Sunday, 4-3, to host Texas at the Weller Indoor Center in Austin.
Tom Fawcett and Sameer Kumar each collected wins in singles, pushing their winning streaks to seven in dual meets.
The Cardinal (5-3) takes a two-week break before hosting California on Feb. 20. The match time is set for 1 p.m. at the Taube Family Tennis Stadium.
Two of Stanford’s losses are by a 4-3 margin, and each time the match was in doubt until the final stroke. The Cardinal lost to TCU, 4-2, on Saturday.
Stanford dropped the doubles point for the second time on the season as Nolan Paige and Maciek Romanowicz fell 6-3 in the No. 1 spot. Yale Goldberg and David Wilczynski came back to knot it up with a 7-5 win in the No. 3 spot, but Tom Fawcett and Sameer Kumar weren’t able to clinch the point in the No. 2 spot, falling 6-4.
Singles proved to be a slugfest on just about every court. Kumar got things even with a quick, 6-1, 6-1, win in the No. 4 spot and Fawcett put the Cardinal ahead when he topped George Goldhoff, 6-2, 6-1, in the No. 1 position.
Romanowicz made it 3-1 after defeating 114th-ranked Michael Riechmann, 6-3, 6-2. in the No. 5 spot.
The Longhorns rallied as Harrison Scott notched a win over Wilczynski in the No. 2 spot and Michael Genender pushed Julian Zlobinsky to a tie break in the first set, ultimately falling 7-6 (3), 6-1 to tie it.
The clincher came in the No. 3 position. Paige took the first set, 6-1, and Adrian Ortiz answered, 6-0, in the second set.
The third set would end up being a test of strength as it went into the tie break, which Ortiz won 7-6 (6).
Men’s golf
Stanford finished sixth among 19 teams at the three-day Amer Ari Invitational and Maverick McNealy was third among individuals while contesting the par-72, 7,074-yard Waikoloa Kings’ Course.
The opening event of the spring season saw the Cardinal register its fifth top-10 showing in as many events on the season.
Stanford (278-284-284) paced the field through 18 holes before falling off the lead and the Cardinal checked in with an 18-under 846 for the three-round event. USC (-29) took home top team honors in front of UCLA (-27), Arizona State (-22) and Oregon (-22).
McNealy (68-68-67) stayed in the red throughout the tournament and battled Oregon’s Aaron Wise for medalist honors until the end. McNealy’s 13-under came with one eagle, 15 birdies, two bogeys and one double-bogey. He was three shots behind Wise’s tournament-best 16-under, which included a final-round eight-under 64.
David Boote twirled a solid first-round 67, followed by even-par circuits to tie for 13th. Viraat Badhwar (71-74-73) tied for 59th ahead of Brandon Wu (72-75-72) and Sacred Heart Prep grad Bradley Knox (75-70-76).
Stanford returns to the course Feb. 15-17 at The Prestige in La Quinta.
By Palo Alto Online Sports/Stanford Athletics
By Palo Alto Online Sports/Stanford Athletics
By Palo Alto Online Sports/Stanford Athletics