After opening the season with an astounding victory over the California Bears on Saturday, No. 1 Stanford men’s gymnastics returns home to host the annual Stanford Open. The Cardinal will welcome No. 19 NorCal and rival No. 9 California to Burnham Pavilion Saturday at 7 p.m. for the first home meet of the season.
The men are currently ranked first in both the floor and parallel bars, third in vault and high bar, fourth in rings and seventh in pommel horse.
The Cardinal completed last season ranked sixth nationally and first in the Pac-12, averaging a team score of 407.775. In last weekend’s meet against California, the Cardinal boasted a team score of 411.250 to California’s 392.350. With a score higher than last year’s team average, the Cardinal opened the season with a victory over Cal for the seventh consecutive year.
At Saturday’s opener, senior Grant Breckenridge, who placed first in both the all-around and parallel bars, was among the six gymnasts who took home top-honors in an event. Breckenridge, securing a 14.650 on parallel bars and a 80.750 in the all-around, helped the Cardinal take the lead on all six events.
Breckenridge’s all-around performance was followed by freshman Brody Malone’s 80.000. Stanford also took third in the all-around, with junior Bailey Perez’s 78.900.
Setting a new career high, junior Connor Lewis scored a 14.700 on the floor. With the second most difficult routine of the event and the highest execution score (9.200), Lewis toppled his previous personal best of 14.550 on the floor.
Sophomore Brian Perla also set personal records on the floor with a 14.450, placing third in the event. He later matched his high of 14.450 on vault, leading the Cardinal on their third rotation.
Earning his second event title of his career, junior David Jessen tied California’s Aaron Mah on the high bar with a 13.500.
The Cardinal men will be back in action tomorrow night at 7 p.m. in Burnham Pavilion.
Contact Alejandro Salinas at asalinas ‘at’ stanford.edu and Julia Ingram at jmingram ‘at’ stanford.edu.