STANFORD, Calif. - U.S. National Team spots are on the line this weekend, as eight current and former Stanford gymnasts head to Louisville, Ky., to compete at the 2026 Winter Cup.
Headlining the group is Cardinal alum Riley Loos, who returns to the event looking to defend his 2025 all-around title. Also competing at the Kentucky International Convention Center will be Arun Chhetri, Zach Green, Jun Iwai, Cooper Kim, Kiran Mandava, David Shamah, and Kai Uemura.
Following the event, both the men's and women's National Teams will be selected, as will the U.S. rosters for the American Cup, a mixed-team international event serving as a preview of the new 2028 Olympic format.
The Senior Men's portion of the 2026 Winter Cup will begin at 4:15 p.m. PT and will stream live on the USA Gymnastics YouTube channel.
LAST TIME OUT » No. 2 Stanford men's gymnastics produced a strong showing north of the border, competing head-to-head against Team Canada at the Elite Canada event. Jun Iwai led the way for Stanford with a 79.916 in the all-around race, which included a pair of career-high performances on floor exercise (14.350) and high bar (13.800). Nick Kuebler continued his impressive senior campaign by sticking a 14.200 routine on still rings, adding 13.650 score on high bar. Asher Hong produced the Cardinal's best showing on parallel bars with a 14.250, following up his impressive season debut at the Stanford Open
TOP SCORE IN THE NCAA » Hosting its first meet of the season inside Burnham Pavilion, the Cardinal posted the top score in the nation this season to win the Stanford Open. Stanford scored a 326.450, winning six of seven events in the meet. Asher Hong impressed with a pair of event victories on the night, including an 80.300 all-around effort and a 14.450 routine on still rings. Nick Kuebler won both the floor exercise and a share of the high bar title, alongside teammate Cooper Kim.
FIVE EVENT WINNERS » Stanford won five of seven events, finishing second at the Rocky Mountain Open with a score of 320.750. No. 2 Oklahoma won the meet with a 323.950 meet score, while the Cardinal finished ahead of No. 4 Nebraska (311.500) and No. 9 Air Force (302.100). David Shamah led the Cardinal with a pair of event victories, turning in a career-best 14.500 parallel bars routine to earn a share of the event title, while also pacing the field in the all-around race with a 79.700. Nick Kuebler (HB), Reece Landsperger (SR), and Wade Nelson (VT) rounded out the event winners for Stanford.
SEASON-OPENING VICTORY » Stanford claimed six event titles en route to a convincing 320.100-309.700 victory over No. 9 California in Friday's season-opening meet at Haas Pavilion. Nick Kuebler and David Shamah highlighted the Cardinal with a pair of event titles each, while Kiran Mandava and Wade Nelson earned victories on pommel horse and vault, respectively.
AWARD SWEEP » Following the season-opneing win, Stanford swept the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation (MPSF) weekly awards. Redshirt senior Nick Kuebler was named Gymnast of the Week, while Jun Iwai earned Freshman of the Week honors and Kiran Mandava collected Specialist of the Week recognition. It was the first career MPSF honor for each of the three Cardinal, and the first time since March 11, 2025 that Stanford won all three weekly awards. Mandava was also named the National Specialist of the Week by the College Gymnastics Association (CGA).
2025 REWIND » Stanford came up just short in its bid for a historic sixth consecutive national title last season, finishing the season as the national runner-up at the 2025 NCAA Championships. The Cardinal posted a season-best score of 332.061 to finish second at the NCAA Championships, finishing less than two-tenths behind Michigan, which claimed the national title with a 332.224. Asher Hong brought home individual NCAA titles on floor exercise and still rings, and was joined by was joined by Mark Berlaga, Jeremy Bischoff, Taylor Burkhart, Ian Lasic-Ellis, Colt Walker, and Khoi Young in earning a combined 11 All-America honors.
KEY RETURNERS » Stanford will have some new faces in the lineup in 2026, as the Cardinal returns just three of 11 gymnasts that competed at the NCAA Championships last season. Six-time NCAA champion Asher Hong highlights the key returners for Stanford, along with 2023 floor national champion Nick Kuebler, still rings All-American Arun Chhetri, and two-time NCAA team champion Marcus Kushner.
INCOMING CLASS » In addition to 14 total gymnasts returning from last season's runner-up team, Stanford welcomes another stellar freshman class to the squad this season. Bringing an abundance of national team and international experience, the newest class of Cardinal includes Jun Iwai, Joey Nieves, Divier Ramos-Delgado, Deano Roberts, and Michael Scheiner.