STANFORD, Calif. - Junior Brody Malone claimed his third consecutive Mountain Pacific Sports Federation (MPSF) Gymnast of the Year selection, while head coach Thom Glielmi also earned his third consecutive Coach of the Year honor, it was announced by the MPSF on Thursday.
Malone is the first Stanford men's gymnast to win consecutive MPSF Gymnast of the Year honors since Akash Modi took the honor in four consecutive seasons from 2014 through 2017, becoming just the third four-time MPSF Athlete of the Year in any sport, joining Tony Azevedo (Stanford Men's Water Polo; 2001-04) and Aimee Harrison (Hawaii Women's Diving; 2013-16).
With Malone capturing the honor in his first three seasons on The Farm, Stanford has now earned 10 MPSF Gymnast of the Year selections in the last 18 years. Joining Malone on the list are Modi, Tim Gentry (2011), Sho Nakamori (2009) and Dan Gill (2004).
Malone, a U.S. Senior National Team member, has won 12 of the 15 events he's entered after competing in the last four meets for the Cardinal this year. The native of Summerville, Ga. has captured three event titles on pommel horse, three on parallel bars, two on rings, two on high bar, one on floor, and the only all-around he competed. Malone has finished top three in 13 of the 15 events entered, and he has claimed a pair of MPSF Gymnast of the Week honors – running his career total to seven.
Malone owns the highest parallel bars score in the nation (15.100), and is the only gymnast this year to go 15-plus on an event. Ranked first nationally on parallel bars, fourth on pommel horse and ninth on still rings, he owns the second-highest high bar score (14.450), fourth-highest pommel horse score (14.500), and second-best all-around score (86.500) this year.
For Glielmi, 2021 marks his fifth MPSF Coach of the Year honor, first earning it in the NCAA and conference championship season of 2009, then again in 2014 as a Co-Coach of the Year with Kip Simons of Air Force.
Glielmi, the 2009, 2011, 2019 and 2020 National Coach of the Year, has established the Cardinal as a perennial national contender, leading Stanford to top-five finishes at the NCAA Championships in each of the last 14 seasons they have been contested. Now in his 19th season at the helm of the Cardinal program, Glielmi has guided Stanford to NCAA championships in 2009, 2011 and 2019.