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Stanford Men’s Gymnastics: Cardinal Predicted to Repeat NCAA Silver

High expectations for the Men’s team this season.

By Alex Mazer
NCAA GYMNASTICS: APR 12 NCAA Men's Gymnastics Championships Photo by Tony Ding/Icon SMI/Corbis via Getty Images

With Stanford’s men’s gymnastics team set to open their season next Sunday, the 15th, at their cross-town rivals Cal Berkeley, they will be entering as the No. 2 nationally ranked team.

Per the Collegiate Gymnastics Association Preseason Coaches Poll, Stanford received 357 points and one 1st place vote, earning them 2nd overall behind only the 2016 NCAA Champions, Oklahoma.

The podium is rounded out by Ohio State in 3rd, as the coaches predicted a repeat finish of last year’s Nationals where Oklahoma took gold, Stanford left with silver, and Ohio State went home with the bronze.

The Cardinal finished last season 24-3, with 18 of those wins against top-10 opponents and 9 against opponents in the top-5.

On an individual level, two of their gymnasts earned NCAA titles: Junior Akash Modi on parallel bars (15.300) and high bar (15.200), and Senior Dennis Zaremski on rings (15.450) to cap off his gymnastics career. Modi then went on to travel to Rio as an alternate for the US Men’s Olympic team over the summer, and will be returning to lead the Cardinal for one more year.

Accompanying him will be other staples of last year’s squad like Ryan Sheppard (Jr.), Taylor Seaton (Sr.), Robert Neff (Jr.), and Grant Breckenridge (Jr.) among others.

Stanford will also be welcoming in a strong freshman class consisting of 2016 US Junior Olympics National High Bar Champion Bryan Perla and Pan American Games Rings Champion Andrew Bitner, who also took silver on the pommel horse and bronze all-around.

Entering with an established core already intact complimented by the additions of some talented fresh blood, the Cardinal is ready to challenge for the school’s 6th ever national title.

The complete rankings are as follows:

1. Oklahoma (377 points—17 first place votes)

2. Stanford (357 points—1 first place vote)

3. Ohio State (338 points—1 first place vote)

4. Minnesota (312 points)

5. Illinois (309 points)

6. Penn State (263 points)

7. Iowa (251 points)

8. California (248 points)

9. Nebraska (242 points)

10. Michigan (238 points)

11. Air Force (190 points)

12. Navy (173 points)

13. Army (155 points)

14. William & Mary (129 points)

15. Arizona State (106 points)

16. Springfield College (91 points)

17. UIC (64 points)

18. Temple (63 points)

19. Washington (57 points)

20. SC United (27 points)