No. 4 Stanford Cardinal
at
MPSF Championships
Saturday, April 7 • 4 p.m. PT
Cadet West Gym • Colorado Springs, Colo.
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STANFORD, Calif. - No. 4 Stanford begins postseason competition this weekend with an appearance at the MPSF Championships.
Returning to action for the first time since a March 10 dual against Ohio State, Stanford is seeking its fifth MPSF title in school history. The Cardinal captured the MPSF crown in 2011, 2009, 1995 and 1993, doubling up to win the NCAA Championship in each of those same four seasons.
This weekend's meet, which includes California and host Air Force, also gives Stanford a second look at No. 1 Oklahoma, winner of the previous six MPSF titles and the three-time defending NCAA champion. Stanford and Oklahoma already squared off back on Feb. 3 in Norman, Oklahoma, with the Sooners posting a 418.000 to prevail in a tri-meet against the Cardinal (410.500) and Nebraska (403.800).
Stanford and Oklahoma will then hook up again in two weeks when it matters most, with this year's NCAA Championships scheduled for April 19-21 in Chicago, Illinois.
Stanford remains solid across the board, with its four-score average ranking among the nation's top-10 in all six categories. The Cardinal is second on high bar (67.800) and parallel bars (68.950), fourth on vault (71.400), sixth on floor (69.267), eighth on still rings (67.483) and 10th on pommel horse (65.833).
Individually, Stanford continues to be paced by Nissen-Emery Award finalist and four-time senior All-American Robert Neff, who ranks second in the nation on high bar (14.367), third in the all-around standings (82.417) and ninth on pommel horse (14.000). The 2017 NCAA champion on high bar, Neff has guided Stanford to three straight top-four NCAA Championships finishes, including runner-up efforts during his freshman and sophomore seasons.
Meanwhile, Blake Sun is Stanford's top performer on parallel bars, ranking ninth in the country (14.200). Ryan Sheppard is sixth in the all-around (80.533) while Grant Breckenridge is seventh on high bar (14.033).
The Cardinal is coming off a unique break in its schedule, recently completing a 10-day trip to Italy. In addition to the cultural experience, Stanford took part in a successful event against selection national team athletes. Competing in an FIG format with five athletes per event and four scores counted for the team overall, the Cardinal produced a 319.400 to best Italy's total of 307.500. Stanford is able to take a foreign trip and compete in an international competition once every four years, resulting in some form of overseas travel in a two-year cycle. This was the Cardinal's first international journey since visiting Norway in 2013.