STANFORD, Calif. – Stanford women’s gymnastics grew stronger Wednesday when Dare Maxwell signed her National Letter of Intent to join the Cardinal in the fall of 2015.
Maxwell will not have to venture too far from home, joining the Cardinal after training at nearby San Mateo Gymnastics under coaches Armen Astonian and Oksana Bystrova. She spent a majority of her youth career training at Dynamo Gymnastics in Oklahoma under the direction of Dennis and Shannon Harrison.
“I wanted to join Stanford women’s gymnastics because I knew I could have an equally amazing education to go with our gymnastics team,” said Maxwell. “I also believe Stanford can make a big impact in the NCAA over the next few years and I want to be a part of those successes.”
Maxwell has experience at the Junior Olympic and Junior International Elite levels and is a staple for consistency on multiple events.
Maxwell is a four-time Junior Olympics Nationals competitor, finishing second on bars and 11th in the all-around in 2012 and claiming a fifth-place result on bars in 2013. She earned Oklahoma Level 10 All-Around Championships in 2008, 2012, 2013 and 2014. Maxwell posted a third-place finish in the California Level 10 All-Around Championship in 2015.
Maxwell competed at the Visa Championships in 2010 and 2011, finishing 22nd and 21st in the all-around, respectively. She registered a second-place result in the all-around at the 2011 American Classic, including a first-place result on bars. Maxwell finished first at the World Olympic Gymnastics Academy Qualifier in 2012.
Outside of the gymnastics gym, Maxwell has spent time at the Cardiothoracic Surgical Skills and Education Center at Stanford as a High School Pre-Medical Studies Student Intern, participated in the Oklahoma City Ballet and as an Oklahoma City Arts Council board member.
Maxwell joins previous NLI signees Hailee Hoffman and Taryn Fitzgerald who committed to Stanford this past November. The trio will join a Stanford team that just competed in its eighth NCAA Championships in the past nine years, and 15th overall, this past weekend in Fort Worth, Texas. The Cardinal advanced to its seventh Super Six in the past 14 years.
Six Stanford gymnasts combined for nine All-America honors – the most since 2012. The Cardinal has now accumulated 110 All-America awards all-time, including 89 since 2002.