STANFORD, Calif. – Coming off the program's furthest road trip of the year with less than 48 hours between meets, the No. 22 Stanford women's gymnastics team created some Monday Maples Magic and earned a come-from-behind victory over No. 25 Washington, 196.625-196.375.
The Cardinal's team score is its best home team mark of the season. After three rotations scoring behind the Huskies, a season-best team score on floor of 49.425 propelled the team to victory.
Sophomore Brenna Neault secured her first all-around title of the season, recording a score of 39.350 led by a 9.900 on beam. Junior Ira Alexeeva earned her second beam title of the year with her 9.925 performance, while senior Chloe Widner captured the bars event win with the same score. Freshman Anna Roberts and Claire Dean, along with senior Madison Brunette, shared the floor title, each earning scores of 9.900.
As the home team, the Cardinal's day started on vault, earning a team score of 48.800. Roberts led the way for Stanford, scoring a 9.800, followed by scores of 9.775 from Neault and senior Brunette. After one rotation, Washington led 49.175-48.800.
Stanford then moved to bars, scoring its second-best team score of the year on the event. Widner's title-winning score, her career best, alongside career-best marks of 9.875 from Roberts and Dean lifted the Cardinal to a team total of 49.325 and brought the team within .200 of the Huskies' score. Halfway through the meet, UW led by a score of 98.325-98.125.
It was then onto beam where Stanford's strong start helped it through a difficult ending to the rotation. Dean led off with a 9.800, followed by a 9.875 from junior Isabela Onyshko and Ira's title-winning score of 9.925. Neault kept the momentum going with a 9.900, but after a fall from Roberts and a repeat-skill deduction from Widner, the team finished the event with a score of 49.075.
Down 147.525-147.200 with one event to go, the Cardinal used its best floor score of 2023 to keep the program undefeated inside Maples Pavilion. Dean (matched career-best score), Brunette (matched career-best score), and Roberts each earned a spot in Stanford's 9.90+ club with their performances, while freshman Taralyn Nguyen matched her career-best with a 9.875 and sophomore Katya Sander bested her collegiate-best effort with a 9.850.
Stanford next heads to Seattle, Wash. for a rematch with the Huskies on President's Day. The Monday meeting with UW is set for 2 p.m. and will be televised on Pac-12 Networks.
