STANFORD, Calif. – No. 8 Stanford enters the 2016 season with a talented and experienced group of gymnasts ready to challenge for a Pac-12 title and made a deep run at the NCAA Championships.
The Cardinal begins its season Sunday at 2 p.m. (PT) at the NorCal Classic at San Jose State where it will take on the Spartans, No. 14 California, UC Davis and Sacramento State. The meet will be streamed by FloGymnastics and live stats will be available. There is a fee to watch the stream on FloGymnastics.
Stanford is coming off a 2015 season that included its 12th trip to the NCAA Championships in the past 15 years, six gymnasts combined for nine All-America honors and the Cardinal finished fifth in the country with a 197.250 – the team’s second-highest score ever at an NCAA Championships competition.
Stanford is one of seven teams in the nation to make at least seven Super Six appearances in the past 14 years (2002-15).
“Our expectation every year is for us to be one of the six teams competing on the last day of the year,” said Stanford head coach Kristen Smyth who enters her 15th season with the Cardinal. “We returned a lot of leadership and can compete with anybody.”
Stanford at the 2015 NCAA Super Six. (Photo by Heather Maynez)
The Cardinal will be led by an experienced group of upperclassmen with plenty of postseason experience as it pursues its eighth trip to the Super Six.
Four-time All-American and 2015 runner-up on balance beam Ivana Hong returns for her final season. After missing 2014 due to injury, Hong reestablished herself as one of the nation’s elite gymnasts last season, earning two All-America honors, the NCAA Morgantown Regional title on beam and tying for second on beam at the Pac-12 Championships.
“We are so thankful Ivana chose to take a fifth year,” said Smyth of her fifth-year senior. “Her work ethic, passion for the sport and strength of character are the qualities that have already made her one of our all-time greats. Our goal this year is to have her ready to compete in the all-around at the NCAA Championships but more importantly, we want this year to be a celebration for her.”
Hong hit 24-of-26 routines (92 percent) in 2015, recording Stanford’s six highest scores on beam and two of the team’s top-10 scores on bars. The human biology and sociology major earned Pac-12 All-Academic recognition and first-team All-Pac-12 honors.
Ivana Hong on uneven bars against Washington. (March 2, 2015)
Defending NCAA vault champion Elizabeth Price expects to be a force in the all-around after a terrific debut season a year ago. After being limited by injuries early in the season, Price debuted in the all-around during the Super Six and scored 9.900 or higher in every event for a final score of 39.675 – the highest of any Stanford gymnast since Tabitha Yim went 39.725 in 2008.
“Elizabeth is a natural leader,” said Smyth. “She’s aggressive, confident, competitive and carries herself at the very highest level. She’s an outstanding person and strives for excellence in everything she does. Last year she led by example, this year she’s taken on more of a vocal leadership role and presence in our leadership council. She is a very powerful leader for this team.”
Price earned All-America honors on vault and bars, was named the Pac-12 Specialist of the Year and scored 9.900 or higher in 21-of-25 performances.
In her first Stanford home event, @elizabeth_ebee did not disappoint, scoring a perfect 10.0 on vault. WOW! http://t.co/GhYiUap9LA
— Stanford Gymnastics (@StanfordWGym) January 27, 2015
Elizabeth Price scores a perfect 10.0 against Oregon State. (Jan. 26, 2015)
Three-time All-American Taylor Rice returns for her final season and expects to again be a factor in the all-around. She earned All-America recognition in the all-around and floor in 2015 and was named to the All-Pac-12 First Team. Rice hit 49 of a team-high 53 routines (92 percent) last season, setting career bests in the all-around four times and career highs in each of the four events.
“Taylor is one of the most talented and charismatic athletes we’ve had here at Stanford,” said Smyth. “She has such great potential to be a star in all four events. She’s a very passionate athlete and truly loves gymnastics.”
Taylor Rice on floor against UCLA. (Feb. 14, 2015)
Additional key returners include All-American Nicolette McNair, Rachel Daum, Jenna Frowein, Danielle McNair and Haley Spector. Nicolette McNair was outstanding on vault, bars and beam last season with season bests of 9.875 or higher. Daum, Frowein and Spector contributed big scores on floor regularly, while Danielle McNair was a regular on vault.
“Jenna has always been a great leader and brings joy and passion for the sport every day,” said Smyth. “She sets the standard for hard work in the gym.”
Melissa Chuang returns to the lineup this season after missing 2015 due to injury. She is expected to be a leader on vault, beam and floor.
“Melissa put a lot of effort into her rehab and everything she could possibly do to come back strong,” said Smyth. “She’s mentally tough and as fit as I’ve ever seen her since she’s been at Stanford. She should be in the starting lineup on three events by midseason.”
Stanford also expects significant contributions from its newcomers Taryn Fitzgerald, Nicole Hoffman and Dare Maxwell. The talented group will likely contribute immediately in multiple events. Classmate Hailee Hoffman will likely miss the season due to injury but will continue to make contributions in the gym during training and team events.
“Taryn came to campus ready to go and will help us on three events,” said Smyth. “Nicole Hoffman will provide depth on floor and Dare will help us fill holes on bars.”
Smyth added the short roster of 12 active gymnasts will force Stanford to be strategic in training and competition throughout the year but that the quality of gymnasts, leadership and team cohesion will help the team excel.
“We are a really small team so we’ll have to do our best to strategically manage the team and peak in April during the postseason when it counts the most,” said Smyth. “It’s a marathon, not a sprint.”