STANFORD, Calif. - Stanford will face a tough road test this week, traveling to Champaign, Ill. to meet No. 5 Minnesota and No. 6 Illinois. While Saturday's noon competition is scheduled for Huff Hall, Champaign is also home to the State Farm Center - the site of the 2019 NCAA Men's Gymnastics Championships.
Not only are Minnesota and Illinois top-10 teams, they also finished second and third, respectively, at the 2018 NCAA Championships.
Most recently, No. 2 Stanford secured a season-best 70.500 on high bars and freshman Brody Malone won his third all-around title against Cal and reigning World Champion Japan last Saturday in the International Collegiate Open. Watched by a near-capacity and highly-entertained crowd of 950 at Burnham Pavilion, Japan won the meet with a score of 424.500. The Cardinal finished second at 419.350 and the Bears third with 395.850.
In addition to the all-around title, Malone's night was highlighted by a career-best 14.750 in the high bar to win the event title. Malone would also finish second in the vault (14.550), and sixth in rings (14.050) and pommel horse (13.800). For his efforts, Malone was named CGA Rookie of the Week for the third time this year.
After claiming the all-around title over Cal and Japan, @brody1700 earned his third @CollegeMGym Rookie of the Week selection of the year this week! #GoStanford pic.twitter.com/YEeK0j9Aje
— Stanford Gymnastics (@StanfordMGym) February 27, 2019
Following the meet in Illinois, Stanford will return home to host Air Force on Friday, March 8 at 7 p.m. from Burnham Pavilion.
Stanford in the Team Rankings (Three-Score Average)
Parallel Bars: 1st, 70.550
Pommel Horse: 1st, 68.250
Floor: 2nd, 71.267
High Bar: 2nd, 69.117
Rings: 3rd, 70.000
Vault: 5th, 71.783
Stanford in the Individual Rankings (National Qualifying Average)
All-Around
Brody Malone – 1st, 84.283
Grant Breckenridge – 7th, 80.783
Andrew Bitner – 21st, 77.383
Floor
Bryan Perla – 2nd, 14.650
Ryan Sheppard – 4th, 14.583
Bailey Perez – 6th, 14.483
Connor Lewis – 10th, 14.383
Brody Malone – 18th, 14.167
Andrew Bitner – 23rd, 14.067
Pommel Horse
Joey Ringer – 6th, 14.117
David Jessen – 15th, 13.767
Brody Malone – 17th, 13.683
Ian Gunther – 19th, 13.617
Still Rings
Josiah Eng – 6th, 14.300
Ian Gunther – 11th, 14.150
Brody Malone – 14th, 14.083
Trevor DiGerolamo – 15th, 14.067
Thomas Lee – 17th, 13.950
Grant Breckenridge – 25th, 13.750
Vault
Connor Lewis – 3rd, 14.700
Brody Malone – 14th, 14.550
Bryan Perla – 17th, 14.517
Parallel Bars
Blake Sun – 4th, 14.467
Grant Breckenridge – 5th, 14.317
Brody Malone – 7th, 14.167
Ryan Sheppard – T-8th, 14.117
Thomas Lee – 14th, 14.000
Jacob Barrus – 15th, 13.983
High Bar
Brody Malone – 2nd, 14.200
David Jessen – 10th, 13.833
Grant Breckenridge – 11th, 13.800
Jacob Barrus – 18th, 13.567