STANFORD, Calif. — Stanford added its latest chapter to collegiate men’s gymnastics' most impressive dynasty, winning its sixth national title in seven years and 11th overall at the 2026 NCAA Championships in Champaign, Illinois.
The Cardinal led wire-to-wire, hitting all 24 routines and scoring a season-best 329.825 to edge runner-up Oklahoma’s 328.495. The championship was secured by Stanford’s senior leaders, as Nick Kuebler delivered a 14.166 before Asher Hong sealed the victory with a 14.300 – the second- and third-highest scores on the apparatus that evening.
Competing in their first NCAA Championships, Jun Iwai (vault) and Cooper Kim (floor exercise) each claimed individual national titles, leading a group of six Cardinal gymnasts that combined for 12 All-America honors. Iwai and Kim were joined on the NCAA podium by Asher Hong, Nick Kuebler, Zach Green, and David Shamah.
The championship marked the eighth national title under head coach Thom Glielmi, which ranks second among active Stanford head coaches behind John Tanner of women’s water polo (10). Glielmi was subsequently named National Coach of the Year for the ninth time in his career, while his support staff of Ruben Lopez Martinez, Mitchell Soukup, and Carlos Hernandez-Ojeda earned Assistant Coach of the Year honors.
The victory carried added significance, extending the most recognizable streak in collegiate athletics. Stanford has now won at least one NCAA team championship for 50 straight years, a remarkable streak that dates back to the 1976-77 campaign when the men’s water polo program defeated UCLA 13-12 on Nov. 28, 1976.
Stanford finished second behind Oklahoma at the MPSF Championships, with Hong and Kim each earning individual conference titles.
Hong led the field on still rings with a season-best 14.550 routine, winning the conference title in the event for the third consecutive year. Kim claimed his first career conference crown with a 14.400 routine on floor exercise, a career-best for the sophomore.
Six Cardinal gymnasts earned a combined nine all-conference selections, awarded to the top-performing gymnast from each school in each event, along with one additional at-large selection given to the highest-scoring gymnast remaining.
Stanford was led by Hong with three honors, followed by Kuebler with all-conference nods in two events. Iwai, Kim, Shamah, and Marcus Pietarinen rounded out the group with one selection each.
Hong capped his decorated collegiate career by earning MPSF Gymnast of the Year honors for the third time, marking Stanford's 12th recipient of the award in the past 13 seasons. He was also named a finalist for the Nissen-Emery Award, collegiate gymnastics' highest individual honor.
Kuebler, who led the Cardinal with seven event titles during the season, was named MPSF Specialist of the Year, becoming the first Stanford gymnast to earn the award. He finished the year ranked in the top four nationally in each of his three events and was a three-time MPSF weekly award recipient.
Stanford’s success extended beyond collegiate competition, with five Cardinal being named to the latest U.S. Senior National Team following the Winter Cup in February. Shamah earned his first national team selection after capturing the all-around bronze medal with a score of 79.608, joining teammate Hong and Stanford alums Taylor Burkhart, Riley Loos, and Brody Malone on Team USA. Iwai finished seventh in the all-around race, including top-four finishes on vault and high bar, to earn a selection on the U.S. Senior Development Team.
The Cardinal also excelled in the classroom, highlighted by Kim and Kuebler earning CSC Academic All-District selections, while 10 Stanford gymnasts were named to the MPSF All-Academic Team.
AWARDS AND ACCOLADES
| Name | Honors |
|---|---|
| Arun Chhetri |
CGA Regular Season All-American (parallel bars) |
| Zach Green |
NCAA All-American (high bar, still rings) |
| Asher Hong |
Two-time NCAA All-American (parallel bars, still rings) |
| Jun Iwai | National Champion (vault) NCAA All-American (vault) All-MPSF (high bar) MPSF Gymnast of the Week (March 17) CGA Freshman of the Week (Feb. 25) MPSF Freshman of the Week (Feb. 24) |
| Cooper Kim |
National Champion (floor exercise) |
| Nick Kuebler |
NCAA All-American (floor, high bar, still rings) |
| Reece Landsperger |
All-MPSF Academic Team |
| Kiran Mandava |
CGA Specialist of the Week (Jan. 14) |
| Toma Murakawa |
All-MPSF Academic Team |
| Wade Nelson | CGA Regular Season All-American (vault) All-MPSF Academic Team |
| Marcus Pietarinen | All-MPSF (pommel horse) All-MPSF Academic Team |
| David Shamah |
NCAA All-American (2026: parallel bars) |