May 4, 2007
Head coach Thom Glielmi was recently named the men's gymnastics 2007 Western Region Coach of the Year. The fifth year head coach guided his team to a solid 22-5 record, a second place finish at the MPSF Championships, and a third place finish at the NCAA Championships. Glielmi also coached two athletes to national championship honors, as David Sender and Alex Schorsch took first on the vault and still rings, respectively at the NCAA individual event finals.
With this type of success, it is no surprise that three more top recruits have committed to compete next fall, announced head coach Thom Glielmi. Josh Dixon, Abhinav Ramani, and Kyle Oi will join the Cardinal next season as members of the class of 2011, along with Alex Buscaglia, Tim Gentry and Ryan Lieberman who committed in the fall.
"The future could not look brighter for Stanford Men's Gymnastics," said Glielmi. "With these three, Kyle, Abi and Josh added to the stable, this freshman class looks to be our strongest class to date. The senior class is probably the only class that comes close to the talent this group is bringing, and I anticipate a great training environment especially now with the total six freshmen. They all have the difficulty to make the line-up on some if not all of the events."
Josh Dixon of San Jose, CA is a four-time member of the USA National Team. He competed in the Junior Division at the 2006 USA Championships and placed second in the All-Around, first on the Floor Exercise and Vault, second on the Horizontal Bar, and third on the Pommel Horse.
"Josh is a proven competitor and I expect him to make the line-up on most events his freshman year," Glielmi noted. "He is extremely powerful and yet does not lose the aesthetic value of the skill when he is competing. It is no mistake he has been on the USA Junior National team the past four years."
"I am very excited about the whole college experience," stated Dixon. "We have three National Team members joining the team, as well as three other amazing gymnasts. I'm looking forward to the challenges presented to me in the academic and athletic arenas."
Hailing from Herndon, VA, Abhinav Ramani currently attends Westfield High School. At the 2005 USA National Championships, Ramani took third in the All-Around, second on the Vault, second on the Parallel Bars, and third on the Horizontal Bar in the Junior Division.
"We are extremely fortunate to have Abhinav become a part of the program," Glielmi said. "Although he has not competed in over a year due to surgery, if he gets back to form on just one event, he will be able to contribute to the team. I am hopeful he will be back in full form on four events, which is no small accomplishment after the potential career-ending break he sustained to his forearm."
"To be given the opportunity to study at Stanford and be part of such an amazing team is incredible. I know that the next four years will surely be unforgettable," said Ramani.
From Rancho Santa Margarita, CA, Kyle Oi will be graduating from Tesoro High School before making his way to Stanford. In 2006, Oi was the Junior National Champion on the Pommel Horse, while also finishing third on the Parallel Bars and eighth in the All-Around at the VISA USA National Championships.
"Last year was a real breakout year for Kyle with his first place finish on pommel horse at Junior Nationals and eighth place finish in the all-around at the Visa Championships. His back is on the mend and I fully expect Kyle be in our pommel horse and ring line-up," said Glielmi.
"I'm really excited to attend Stanford for its world class athletics and academics," Oi said. "I look forward to a great experience athletically and academically."