April 17, 2008
Complete Results in PDF Format
STANFORD, Calif.The No. 1 Stanford men's gymnastics team recorded a final team score of 363.850 to finish first in the second session of qualifiers and move on to Friday night's team finals of the 2008 National Collegiate Men's Gymnastics Championships. Along with Stanford's team score being their best so far of the year, it was also the best score of the evening out of all twelve teams and the highest in the NCAA this year.
No. 5 Illinois, who took second with 359.3 points, and No. 4 California, third with 357.1 points also advanced and will join Stanford in facing No. 2 Oklahoma, No. 3 Penn State, and No. 6 Michigan, who qualified in the afternoon session.
Stanford started the evening on the parallel bars. Redshirt junior Jason Shen took to the p-bars first for the Cardinal, completing a nice routine and scoring 14.55. Senior David Sender also scored well with a 14.65. Sho Nakamori had the best Cardinal p-bars performance on the night as he notched a 15.05, tying for second overall with California's Colin Christ.
Next at horizontal bar, Dylan Carney and Sender led the way as they both stuck their dismount after performing brilliant routines. Carney was awarded a 15.1, and Sender scored a 14.9. Nakamori also scored a 14.9 and tied with Sender and Illinois' Paul Ruggeri for third place. Carney took first outright in the event by five-hundredths of a point.
At floor, the Cardinal put up solid scores, with five athletes hitting at least 15.0. Freshman Josh Dixon and Sender were the top gymnasts in the event with a 15.65, sharing first place, while sophomore Greg Ter-Zakhariants scored a 15.55 taking third.
Stanford took a bye in the fourth rotation, getting a chance to regroup and recover before jumping onto the pommel horse. Sho Nakamori was again solid, recording a 14.85, but just missed placing as the top three gymnasts in that event were able to crack 15.0.
On rings, Tim Gentry showed why he's one of the best in the country registering a 15.450, but Sender topped everyone, taking his second event victory of the night with a 15.7.
In the final rotation, Stanford sealed its victory on vault. Dixon stuck his landing, posting a 16.0 to tie for fifth as Gentry tied for third with 16.1. Sender, the last up for the Cardinal in vault, took his third event title of the night with a solid 16.2.
As the finals scores came in and all results were tabulated, Nakamori and Sender came out on top in all-around. Nakamori took first with 90.35, his highest all-around mark of the year, and Sender took second with 89.6.
The Cardinal will return to Maples Pavilion tomorrow night at 7 p.m., looking to win its first NCAA Championship since 1995. Tickets will be on sale at Maples Pavilion tomorrow, but the first 150 Stanford students will be admitted free of charge as doors open at 6 p.m. Live stats can be accessed through gostanford.com for All-Access pass holders. ESPN2 will be televising the event on tape delay on April 24.