STANFORD, Calif. - Stanford led from start to finish on the way to winning its fourth consecutive NCAA men's gymnastics championship on April 15 at Penn State's Rec Hall. Stanford, the nation's top-ranked team, scored 422.458 points to beat runner-up Michigan with 419.889, giving the Cardinal its ninth championship. Thom Glielmi has led the Cardinal to six NCAA titles, which ranks third overall among active Stanford head coaches and trails only Lele Forood of women's tennis (10) and John Tanner of women's water polo (9). The nine national titles ties Stanford for fourth among men's gymnastics programs (Penn State 12, Oklahoma 12, Illinois 10). Gymnastics is just the second Cardinal men's sport to win four consecutive NCAA titles, and the first since men's tennis from 1995-98.
Academic All-Americans
Recognized for their excellence in the classroom, in addition to in the gym, Brandon Briones, Riley Loos and Ian Gunther were named College Sports Communicators Academic All-Americans. Briones was named to the first team, Loos was chosen to the second team, and Gunther earned a nod to the third team.
Briones, a three-time national champion and a finalist for the 2023 Nissen-Emery Award, is a five-time NCAA All-American. Briones, the 2020 CGA Rookie of the Year, finished as the runner-up on still rings at this year's national championship. A member of the U.S. Senior National Team, Briones finished fifth in the all-around at the 2021 U.S. Olympic Team Trials to earn a spot as an Alternate for Team USA at the Tokyo Olympics. A two-time MPSF All-Academic selection, Briones carries a 3.97 GPA as a mechanical engineering major.
Gunther helped Stanford to four national championships during his time on The Farm, finishing his illustrious career as a 10-time All-American. The native of Houston, Texas won three MPSF individual titles, including capturing the still rings crown in 2021 and 2022, before earning a spot on the inaugural All-MPSF squad in 2023. Gunther is a four-time MPSF All-Academic selection while sporting a 3.64 GPA as a product design major while pursuing a graduate degree in sustainability science and practice.
Loos, who amassed a 3.65 GPA and graduated with a degree in management science and engineering this spring, was a finalist for the 2023 Nissen-Emery Award. A seven-time All-American, Loos won the 2022 national title on still rings. The native of El Dorado Hills, Calif. is a three-time MPSF All-Academic selection. A member of the U.S. Senior National Team, Loos guided USA to the 2022 Pan American Championship while finishing second on floor and third on still rings. He also led the U.S. to gold at the 2022 DTB Pokal Mixed Cup and was a bronze medalist on floor exercise at the 2023 Baku World Cup in Azerbaijan.
Nissen-Emery Award FinalistsStanford seniors Brandon Briones and Riley Loos were named finalists for the 2023 Nissen-Emery Award. Briones and Loos joined Chase Clingman (Penn State), Spencer Goodell (Oklahoma), Paul Juda (Michigan), Christian Marsh (William & Mary), Donte McKinney (Nebraska) and Ian Skirkey (Illinois) as finalists for the prestigious award. Juda would ultimately earn the honor. The Nissen-Emery award is given annually to the top senior gymnast in the nation. Stanford boasts six previous Nissen-Emery Award recipients, including the 2022 winner in Brody Malone. Akash Modi (2017), Eddie Penev (2013), Dan Gill (2004), Josh Stein (1995) and Steve Hug (1974) previously won the award. The original Nissen Award was named in honor of George Nissen, a former NCAA champion, for his contributions to men's gymnastics. The award was re-named the Nissen-Emery Award in 1998 to honor Dr. Robert Emery, a Penn State graduate, who won the Nissen Award in 1969. The Nissen-Emery Award is inscribed with the following motto: "The true champion seeks excellence physically, mentally, socially, and morally."
Four-Peat
Stanford led from start to finish on the way to winning its fourth consecutive NCAA men's gymnastics championship on April 15 at Penn State's Rec Hall. Stanford, the nation's top-ranked team, scored 422.458 points to beat runner-up Michigan with 419.889, giving the Cardinal its ninth championship.
From the first gymnast – Taylor Burkhart on vault – to the last, Stanford never trailed. Burkhart opened the first rotation with a career-best 15.000 and Stanford immediately added to that advantage with Khoi Young scoring 14.800 at No. 2 in the lineup. Freshman Asher Hong followed by scoring a meet-best and career-high 15.333 at No. 3 to win the individual national title. Stanford already had a 73.999-70.665 lead over second-ranked Oklahoma, which opened on floor, after one rotation.
Stanford extended the lead in the second rotation on parallel bars, getting a career-high 14.566 from Brandon Nguyen to lead the way. Oklahoma, Stanford's main rival over the Cardinal's recent run of success, dropped to third on the rotation and never recovered, finishing fourth.
After Stanford put up a 67.999 on horizontal bar, led by Burkhart (14.000) and J.R. Chou (13.900), Nicolas Kuebler kept the momentum going in the fourth rotation, guiding Stanford to a season-best 70.965 on floor exercise. Kuebler nailed down a career-high 14.800 to win the floor national title - taking the crown over Michigan's Fred Richard based on execution score.
With Kuebler's win, Stanford has now won the floor title in back-to-back seasons after Bryan Perla was crowned in 2022. With Brody Malone winning in 2019, Stanford has now won the floor title in three of the last four championship meets.
Though the Cardinal maintained a healthy lead, Michigan made a late run, moving up from fifth after two rotations to second after four. After five rotations, Stanford's lead was cut to only 2.337 points, with the Cardinal heading to rings and Michigan to floor in the final rotation.
Fortunately, Stanford had Kuebler to keep the momentum with the Cardinal. And he did. Kuebler enjoyed a near-flawless routine, sticking the dismount perfectly to score a career-best 14.556 for the second consecutive meet. With Michigan's leadoff scoring 13.100, Stanford's lead ballooned to 3.803 points.
The dagger came from Brandon Briones at the No. 4 spot. Briones nailed his routine to the tune of 14.733, offsetting a strong performance from his Michigan counterpart, Landon Blixt, who scored 14.600 on the floor.
With all-around champion Richard scoring a 14.800 to close out floor for Michigan, Mark Berlaga gave Stanford enough with a 13.566, and the Cardinal were victorious once again.
Hong finished third overall in the all-around, scoring 83.932 to finish with three All-America honors after also earning accolades for his national-title vault (15.333) and a sixth-place finish on still rings (14.266). Richard won the all-around crown with an 85.998, followed by Nebraska's Taylor Christopulos at 84.166.
Strong All-America HaulIncluding three from freshman Asher Hong on vault (15.333), rings (14.266) and in the all-around (83.932), Stanford finished with 12 All-America honors. Nicolas Kuebler followed with two, including his national title on floor (14.800) and a fourth-place finish on rings (14.566). Taylor Burkhart also captured a pair of All-America honors, finishing as the national runner-up on vault behind Hong (15.000) and placing fifth on horizontal bar (14.000). J.R. Chou was the final dual All-American, placing sixth on pommel horse (13.800) and eighth on horizontal bar (13.900).
Brandon Briones was the national runner-up on still rings, with his stuck 14.733 earning his All-America honor. Brandon Nguyen's 14.566 was good enough for fifth and an All-America tag on parallel bars, while sophomore Khoi Young earned an All-America selection for his sixth-place finish on vault at 14.800.
CGA Rookie of the YearFreshman Asher Hong was named CGA Rookie of the Year at the annual College Gymnastics Association Awards Banquet. The Rookie of the Year selection is the third in program history after Brody Malone (2019) and Brandon Briones (2020) were lauded in their inaugural campaigns. Hong had previously been named Mountain Pacific Sports Federation (MPSF) Gymnast of the Year, as well as the inaugural MPSF Freshman of the Year, prior to the MPSF Championships. The native of Tomball, Texas won the 2023 MPSF all-around and parallel bars titles en route to being named to the inaugural All-MPSF squad. A three-time All-American, Hong won the national title on vault (15.333), finished sixth on rings (14.266) and placed third in the all-around (83.932) in his inaugural NCAA championship final. A member of the U.S. Senior National Team, Hong earned his spot after placing third overall in the all-around competition (81.948) on day one from the Winter Cup. He turned in the second-highest score on vault on day one (14.755), was third overall on horizontal bar (13.650), and fourth on still rings (14.133) and parallel bars (14.700). Competing with Team USA, Hong helped guide the U.S. to a gold medal at the 2023 DTB Pokal Team Challenge and earned individual bronze on pommel horse (14.133). He had previously competed at the 2022 World Championships and finished sixth in the all-around final while helping the U.S. finish fifth as a team. Hong ranked first in the nation on still rings (14.575) and parallel bars (14.675), fifth on vault (14.638) and eighth on floor (14.138). Among freshman gymnasts, Hong ranked first nationally on rings, parallel bars, floor and vault. Hong won 11 event titles this year, including four on parallel bars, two on still rings and the all-around, two on vault and one on floor.
MPSF Gymnast & Freshman of the YearFreshman Asher Hong was named Mountain Pacific Sports Federation (MPSF) Gymnast of the Year, as well as the inaugural MPSF Freshman of the Year, it was announced by the conference office in March. Hong is Stanford's 12th MPSF Gymnast of the Year recipient, all coming in the last 20 years. Brody Malone had won the previous four (2019-22), while Akash Modi (2014-17), Tim Gentry (2011), Sho Nakamori (2009) and Dan Gill (2004) preceded Malone.
Conference Dominance
Entering with a No. 2 national ranking, Stanford put up a 423.150 on April 1 to win its second consecutive MPSF championship. The MPSF crown is the sixth overall for Stanford in program history. Stanford's team score was just off its season high of 423.550 from a tri-meet against Navy and Air Force on March 11. Oklahoma took second with a score of 409.500, followed by Air Force (397.350) and California (388.600) in third and fourth, respectively.
The Cardinal managed to win four individual event titles in addition to the all-around crown – which went to MPSF Gymnast of the Year Asher Hong with a score of 83.700. Hong also won the parallel bars title with a 14.800, while Khoi Young (season-best 14.750) finished first on pommel horse and Mark Berlaga (14.600) topped all competitors on still rings. Zach Martin and Taylor Burkhart both managed a 14.800 on vault to post the night's top score, but Martin had the tiebreaker based on execution to claim the title. Nicolas Kuebler took second on floor with a score of 14.100, while Riley Loos finished fourth in the event at 14.050. Young's 14.750 on pommel horse proved well ahead of any other gymnast, as Air Force's Patrick Hoopes took second with a score of 14.000. Colt Walker, making his season debut after coming back from injury, finished fourth at 13.900. The top-ranked still rings team in the nation, Stanford finished in each of the top five spots in the event. Berlaga was followed by Ian Gunther (14.450), Hong (14.450), Kuebler (14.400) and Loos (14.350). After Martin and Burkhart finished atop the standings, Hong and Brandon Briones shared fourth on vault with identical scores of 14.550. Senior J.R. Chou finished third overall on parallel bars based on execution score, posting a score of 14.400 to match Spencer Goodell of Oklahoma. Chou would also place second on horizontal bar with a mark of 14.350.
Nine Named to Inaugural All-MPSF Squad
On the heels of winning the 2023 MPSF men's gymnastics championship, nine Stanford gymnasts earned spots on the inaugural All-MPSF team. Mark Berlaga (still rings), Taylor Burkhart (vault), J.R. Chou (parallel bars/horizontal bar), Ian Gunther (still rings), Asher Hong (parallel bars/all-around), Nicolas Kuebler (floor), Zach Martin (vault), Colt Walker (pommel horse) and Khoi Young (pommel horse) all earned selections, with Chou and Hong claiming awards in two events for a total of 11 honors for Stanford. The top gymnast from each school in each event at the MPSF Championships was an automatic selection. One additional gymnast per event was chosen as an at-large selection, based on the highest remaining score, regardless of team.
Hong, the all-around winner at Championships with a combined 83.700, also won the parallel bars title with a 14.800, while Young (season-best 14.750) finished first on pommel horse and Berlaga (14.600) topped all competitors on still rings. Martin and Burkhart both managed a 14.800 on vault to post the night's top score. Kuebler earned his All-MPSF nod on floor after finishing second with a score of 14.100. Walker, making his season debut after coming back from injury, finished fourth overall on pommel horse at 13.900 to qualify for all-conference honors. The top-ranked still rings team in the nation, Stanford finished in each of the top five spots in the event at the MPSF Championships, with Gunther earning the fourth and final All-MPSF spot with a 14.450. Chou finished third overall on parallel bars based on execution score, posting a score of 14.400 to match Spencer Goodell of Oklahoma and earn a spot on the All-MPSF team in the event. Chou would also place second on horizontal bar with a mark of 14.350 to round out his all-conference selections.
Coaches of the Year
For their efforts in guiding Stanford to the national title, Thom Glielmi and assistant coaches Mark Freeman and Grant Breckenridge were named Coaches of the Year. The honor is the seventh National Coach of the Year selection for Glielmi, while Freeman has been awarded National Assistant Coach of the Year in each of the last four seasons - becoming the first four-time Assistant Coach of the Year in men's gymnastics. Breckenridge earned his first selection in his inaugural campaign as a collegiate coach.
As of 1973, the National Head Coach and Assistant Coaches of the Year are presented annually to the coaches of the team that wins the NCAA Championships. The Cardinal captured its ninth NCAA title this year – including its fourth in as many championship meets.
Excellence in the Classroom
Thirteen Stanford men's gymnasts earned Pac-12 Winter Honor Roll selections, including Mark Berlaga, Jeremy Bischoff, Brandon Briones, J.R. Chou, Ian Gunther, Nicolas Kuebler, Ian Lasic-Ellis, Riley Loos, Brody Malone, Luke McFarland, Brandon Nguyen, Matthew Szot and Colt Walker. In addition, the MPSF named its All-Academic team, with 12 Cardinal being selected - Mark Berlaga, Jeremy Bischoff, Brandon Briones, J.R. Chou, Ian Gunther, Nicolas Kuebler, Ian Lasic-Ellis, Riley Loos, Zach Martin, Luke McFarland, Brandon Nguyen and Khoi Young.
Strong Winter Cup Showing
In addition to Brody Malone, Asher Hong and Ian Lasic-Ellis, four more Stanford-affiliated gymnasts secured U.S. Senior National Team spots following the conclusion of the 2023 Winter Cup. Based on their performance over the two days of competition, senior Riley Loos, sophomore Khoi Young and former Cardinal standouts Curran Phillips and Blake Sun earned spots on the team. Hong and Lasic-Ellis secured their spots on the first day of competition by finishing top five in the all-around competition, while Malone earned an automatic bid thanks to his gold on horizontal bar at the World Championships. In men's senior competition from Freedom Hall, apparatus winners were determined by the cumulative total of scores from Friday's all-around session and Sunday's competition.
Phillips, who graduated in 2022 from Stanford and still trains on The Farm, won the parallel bars title for the second consecutive year. His 15.997 on day one was combined with an event-best 16.097 on day two to total 32.094 – nearly two points better than former Cardinal Sun at 30.288. Phillips also finished atop the podium on horizontal bar after combining for a 27.350. The two-day total included a 13.700 on Friday and a 13.650 on Sunday. He finished second on horizontal bar at last year's Winter Cup. Loos finished second in the combined all-around with a score of 161.110 – earning top-eight finishes on still rings (2nd, 28.356), vault (5th, 28.104), horizontal bar (5th, 26.000), parallel bars (8th, 27.050) and floor (8th, 26.450). Despite posting the highest combined score on vault with a 29.554, Young did not compete two vaults and was ineligible to win the event. Young hit for an event-best 14.802 on day one before registering a 14.752 on day two. In addition to finishing second on parallel bars, Sun was seventh on pommel horse (26.900).
Ian Gunther finished third on horizontal bar (26.800), fifth on still rings (27.900), ninth on pommel horse (25.509) and 10th in the combined all-around with a two-day score of 146.959. Jeremy Bischoff also managed a pair of top 10 finishes – placing sixth on parallel bars (27.650) and 10th on vault (27.550).
Tom Hansen Conference Medal Winner
Brody Malone and Stanford women's water polo player Aria Fischer were named Stanford's 2022-23 Pac-12 Tom Hansen Conference Medal recipients, it was announced in June. A Conference Medal is awarded annually to each member institution's outstanding senior male and female student-athlete based on the exhibition of the greatest combination of performance and achievement in scholarship, athletics and leadership. Conference medal winners have been named every year since the 1960-61 academic year. In 2009, the Pac-12 renamed the award the Tom Hansen Conference Medal in honor of Hansen, who retired at the end of June 2009 after serving for 26 years as Commissioner of the Pac-10.
Malone & Glielmi Lauded by USA Gymnastics
Brody Malone (Aragon, Ga./Stanford University) was named both USA Artistic Gymnastics Athlete and Sportsperson of the Year for 2022, while Thom Glielmi was named Coach of the Year. Malone, a 2020 Olympian and 2021 World bronze medalist on horizontal bar, secured Athlete of the Year as the 2022 U.S. men's all-around champion and was voted Sportsperson of the Year by his fellow competitors at this year's OOFOS U.S. Gymnastics Championships. Glielmi and Levon Karakhanyan of Massachusetts Elite Gymnastics Academy were chosen by their fellow coaches as the senior and junior Coach of the Year, respectively. Glielmi has coached the Stanford men's team since 2003, collecting six NCAA team National Championships in that time.
National Team Success
Competing for the U.S. Senior National Team, Riley Loos claimed bronze on floor exercise and came away with two top five finishes on parallel bars and horizontal bar at the Baku World Cup in Azerbaijan. Loos' score of 13.733 on floor secured his spot on the medal podium behind Kazakhstan's Milad Karimi (14.200) and Ukraine's Illia Kovtun (13.933). Loos also placed eighth on rings (14.100) and competed on pommel horse and high bar, scoring 13.400 on pommel and 12.366 on high bar during the qualifying rounds. Curran Phillips advanced to the parallel bars (14.500) and high bar (13.133) finals, earning a pair of top-five finishes. Also in action for the U.S. was Blake Sun who posted a 12.066 on parallel bars and a 11.966 on pommel horse in qualifications.
Brody Malone and Asher Hong teamed to help the U.S. to gold at the DTB Pokal Team Challenge in Stuttgart, Germany with a 258.800. Hong also earned bronze individually on pommel horse with a 14.133. Jeremy Bischoff was also active in Stuttgart, helping Team USA to a fourth-place finish at the DTB Pokal Team Mixed Cup.
The U.S. men took home 10 medals, five of them gold, on Day 1 of the 2023 Pan American Championships in Medellin, Colombia. Stanford teammates Curran Phillips (Naperville, Ill.) and Khoi Young (Bowie, Md.) each secured gold during apparatus finals, with Phillips taking the high bar title with a 14.433 and Young setting the bar on pommel horse with a 13.833. Young and Phillips would ultimately help the U.S. win team gold with a combined 247.499 to close out the 2023 Pan American Championships. Young was the top scorer on pommel horse (14.467), while Phillips led all competitors on horizontal bar (14.400).