March 8, 2009
MINNEAPOLIS - The top-ranked Stanford men's gymnastics team took second in tonight's tri-meet with No. 7 Minnesota and No. 2 Oklahoma, hosted by the Golden Gophers in Minneapolis. The Cardinal was bested by the Sooners by just 1.45 points, 357.850-356.400, as Stanford and Oklahoma split event titles, with the Cardinal taking floor exercise, parallel bars, and horizontal bar.
Sophomore Josh Dixon once again topped all competitors on floor exercise, registering a 15.750 and tying his personal best on the season, while junior Eric Hergenrader earned his best mark of the season on the event with a 14.05. Redshirt senior Sho Nakamori also turned in his personal season-best with a 15.4. On floor exercise as a whole, Stanford recorded 15.25 or better on all four scores counting towards the team total, and picked up its season-best total of 61.85.
On pommel horse, Dixon also scored his season-best of 13.95, and Hergenrader was the top Cardinal performer with a 14.4, good enough for fourth place.
Sophomore Tim Gentry took home another still rings event title, picking up a 15.05 on the event; as Stanford went on to score a 57.4, and on vault, Gentry again scored well, turning in a 16.15 for second place individually.
Nakamori brought in the Cardinal's third individual event title on parallel bars with a 15.25, helping Stanford to a season-best team total on the event of 59.0. Two other gymnasts earned personal season-highs as Dixon posted a 14.15, and redshirt sophomore Nick Noone posted a 14.8.
On horizontal bar, Dixon placed third, notching a 14.95 and senior Bryant Hadden tied his personal season-high on with a 14.3. Redshirt junior Greg Ter-Zakhariants took second on the event with a 15.05.
The Cardinal will be back in action on March 28 at home against Illinois-Chicago.