Five Cardinal Earn National Team Spots

PHOENIX — Stanford junior Cooper Kim captured the high bar national title at the 2026 Xfinity U.S. Gymnastics Championships, highlighting four podium finishes for the Cardinal on Saturday evening.

Finishing sixth in the all-around with a 163.736, Kim dominated the high bar competition with a two-day total of 30.936. The Grand Ledge, Mich., native opened the meet on Thursday with a 15.368, before improving to 15.568 in Saturday's session. Kim, the defending NCAA champion, also finished fourth on floor exercise with a 28.250.

David Shamah was just behind in eighth in the all-around standings (161.316), earning a runner-up finish on vault with a two-day score of 29.716. Shamah posted a 14.758 on Thursday before following it up with a 14.958 routine on Saturday. Shamah also added top-10 finishes on floor exercise and high bar.

Jun Iwai added a runner-up finish on floor exercise, totaling 28.860 across both sessions, including a 14.655 routine on Thursday evening. Iwai finished 12th in the all-around with a score of 156.810, which included a seventh-place showing on high bar (27.050).

Recent Cardinal graduate Nicolas Kuebler rounded out the Cardinal's podium finishes, taking third on still rings with a 28.760. Kuebler also finished fifth on floor exercise, ultimately placing 10th in the all-around standings.

Stanford graduate Taylor Burkhart matched Kim with a 163.736 in the all-around to finish seventh. Burkhart's best individual event finish came on still rings, where he placed eighth with a 27.650, while he also finished eighth on floor exercise and ninth on pommel horse.

Xander Hong rounded out the current Cardinal contingent with a 16th-place finish in the all-around (151.850), while alum Colt Walker finished eighth on vault (28.476), along with a 10th-place effort on still rings (27.000). Incoming freshman Nartey Brady and Justin Park were also in action over the course of the weekend, with Park finishing with a 142.100 all-around score to place 29th. 

Following the competition, Kim, Burkhart, and Shamah were named to the U.S. Senior Men's National Team, joining fellow Cardinal Asher Hong. Iwai was selected to the Senior Development Team. 

Kim was also named the non-traveling replacement athlete for the 2026 World Championships and will represent Team USA at the Paris World Challenge Cup on September 26-27.