TEMPE, Ariz. – Competing at the Southwest Cup hosted by Arizona State, No. 2 Stanford posted a new national-best score of 420.400 to top No. 5 Ohio State, No. 11 California and a split squad from Arizona State.
"It was a good competition overall," head coach Thom Glielmi said. "While some of our potentially higher-scoring routines didn't materialize, the team had each other's back. We put together almost all hit routines that counted for the team score."
Ohio State finished second with a score of 408.150, followed by California at 396.400, Arizona State Gold at 388.950 and Arizona State Maroon at 363.800.
Freshman Brandon Briones compiled the highest all-around score in the nation with an 85.300. Briones won the still rings event title with a national-best 14.900, went second on vault (career-best 14.800) and third on floor (13.950).
Sophomore Brody Malone finished second in the all-around, posting an 84.200, including a career-best 14.800 to capture the event title on parallel bars. Malone guided Stanford to a new team season high on parallel bars at 72.650 – the highest mark in the nation this season. Three other Cardinal set new career-bests in the event, including Briones (14.450), Thomas Lee (14.400) and Ian Gunther (14.300), but it was Blake Sun's 14.700 that finished as the runner-up to Malone.
Malone also turned in the top Stanford score on pommel horse at 13.750, setting the tone for a new team-best score of 68.350. The Cardinal took spots three through seven in the overall finish, with David Jessen, Gunther, Joey Ringer and Briones following behind Malone, in that order.
"What I was most pleased about was the pommel line-up," Glielmi declared after the meet. "They did their job. They looked confident from start to finish."
Stanford also managed to become the first team this year to hit 70+ on still rings, registering a mark of 71.500 behind career-highs from Briones (14.900), Trevor DiGerolamo (14.700) and Gunther (14.500) to capture each of the top three spots.
"Briones was solid on all events, but has room to improve," Glielmi said. "Malone was right on his tail, but Briones separated himself on rings."
Finishing on arguably its best event, Stanford hit for a 73.600 to surpass the 420-point threshold for the second time this season. Sophomore Curran Phillips led the way with a career-best 14.850 to capture the even title. Briones followed in second as the Cardinal earned each of the top five spots in the overall standings – with all hitting for 14.600 or better.
Stanford will take a break from team competition as six Stanford gymnasts prepare to compete at the USA Gymnastics Winter Cup from February 20-22 in Las Vegas. Briones and Gunther qualified via the all-around at the Stanford open and will join current Cardinal Malone and Riley Loos, as well as alums Akash Modi and Grant Breckenridge in the field.
The Cardinal will return to action on February 29 when it hosts the annual International Collegiate Open featuring reigning Olympic Champion Japan, Norway, World All-Stars and California.
