| Floor | Pommel | Rings | Vault | P. Bars | H. Bar | Total | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| STANFORD | 66.050 | 66.200 | 67.700 | 73.050 | 68.250 | 66.050 | 407.300 |
| California | 64.750 | 59.100 | 63.850 | 68.700 | 63.850 | 62.600 | 382.850 |
BERKELEY, Calif. – No. 1 Stanford opened the 2020 season with a 407.300-382.850 victory over California from the annual Cal Benefit Cup on Saturday night.
"We've got some big routines and I expected nerves to affect some of the guys," head coach Thom Glielmi said. "But it was a solid team effort and we will keep building."
Freshman Brandon Briones starred in his collegiate debut, winning the all-around title with a score of 82.400. The native of Gilbert, Ariz. topped sophomore teammates Brody Malone (78.850) and Ian Gunther (78.800) for the all-around crown.
Briones impressed throughout the night, winning event titles on floor (13.750), rings (13.850) and vault (14.750), and turning in scores of 13.150 on pommel horse, 13.100 on high bar and 13.800 on parallel bars.
"Briones proved his mettle and did a great job for the team on every event," Glielmi said after the meet.
Malone, the reigning MPSF Gymnast of the Year, won the parallel bars title with a score of 14.350 – coming in just short of his career-best of 14.550. The native of Summerville, Ga. also helped Stanford post a 73.050 on vault – turning in an impressive 14.700.
Gunther proved consistent over the course of the competition, turning in scores of 13 or better in four of his six events. The Houston, Texas native hit for a 13.650 on vault before notching a 13.400 on rings and high bar – that mark proving enough to share the event title with teammate Andrew Bitner on high bar.
Sophomores Curran Phillips and Christopher Osgood each managed new career bests during the competition, with Phillips registering a 14.650 as the leadoff on vault and Osgood connecting for a 13.500 on rings. Freshman Riley Loos was the final event winner for the Cardinal, registering a 13.500 to take top honors on pommel horse in his collegiate debut.
The Cardinal will now prepare for the Windy City Invitational in Chicago, Ill. on January 18. One of the premiere events of the season, the invitational will feature Illinois, Michigan, Iowa, Minnesota and Ohio State.