FORT WORTH, Texas – Stanford is heading back to the NCAA Championships Super Six for the seventh time in program history.
The Cardinal scored 197.175 – tying its second-highest score of the season – to finish third Friday at the NCAA Championships Semifinals. Stanford's team score is the third-highest in program history at any NCAA Championships, including semifinal and Super Six competitions.
Stanford entered the weekend as one of only seven teams in the nation to make at least six Super Six appearances in the past 13 years (2002-14) and returns to the final competition for the first time since 2012.
Stanford will be joined in the Super Six by Utah and Florida, which tied for the top result in the first semifinal with scores of 197.475. Michigan finished fourth (197.025), followed by Georgia (196.600) and UCLA (196.400).
The Cardinal got off to a hot start on bars and never looked back, holding a spot among the top-three teams throughout the duration of the meet.
“The team is peaking at right time and we still have spots to improve in even after today,” said Stanford head coach Kristen Smyth. “We felt confident being three-tenths away from the defending national champion (Florida) in the final scores. We believe we have a shot at a national title and can't wait for tomorrow.”
Six Stanford gymnasts combined for nine All-America honors, including four first team awards. It is the most All-America honors earned by Cardinal gymnasts since 2012 when seven gymnasts combined for nine awards. Among the 2012 All-America recipients were current gymnasts and 2015 honorees Ivana Hong and Samantha Shapiro.
Stanford has now accumulated 110 All-America honors all-time, including 89 since 2002. Smyth attributes much of the team's consistent success to the work contributed by associate head coach Chris Swircek and assistant coach Tabitha Yim.
Elizabeth Price claimed first team All-America honors on vault (9.950) and bars (9.950) finishing first and second in the events, respectively. Ivana Hong earned first team recognition on beam (9.900) with a first-place finish and tied for fifth on bars with a 9.925 to claim second-team honors. It is Hong's third and fourth All-America honors of her collegiate career.
Taylor Rice earned the first All-America first team award of her career with a 9.900 on floor, tying for fourth, and added a second-team honor with a seventh-place result in the all-around (39.275). She is now a three-time All-American.
Price, Hong and Rice advance to Sunday's NCAA Individual Event Finals in the events they earned first team honors.
Samantha Shapiro earned the third All-America award of her career on bars with a 9.925 to tie for fifth and receive second-team recognition. Nicolette McNair joined Shapiro on the bars second team with a 9.900 to place seventh and earn the first All-America honor of her collegiate career.
Rebecca Wing earned the first All-America award her career with a 9.875 on beam to tie for seventh.
Stanford got off to exactly the start it wanted on bars, registering a season-best 49.575. It is the third-best score in program history and highest since March 22, 2003 when the Cardinal tallied a 49.600 against Oklahoma.
Nicolette McNair set the tone with a 9.900 in the leadoff position. Price led the team with a 9.950, while Shapiro and Hong contributed scores of 9.925. Kristina Vaculik added a 9.875 and Rice earned a 9.850.
“Nikki starting us on bars for the first time this year with a big and bold routine was huge for us because it set the tone for everyone else,” said Smyth. “Sami and Kristina are two of the best bars workers in the nation, and to have Elizabeth's power Ivana's beauty in the backend of the lineup is amazing.”
The Cardinal continued its momentum on beam with a 49.300, the team's third-highest score in the event this season. Hong provided the exclamation point in the event with a team-best 9.900 in the anchor position.
Wing got Stanford started strong on beam with a 9.875 in the leadoff spot and was followed by a pair of 9.850s by Nicolette McNair and Rice. Vaculik posted a 9.825 and Pauline Hanset notched a 9.775.
At the halfway point of the meet, Stanford led the field with a 98.875. Florida was second with a 98.750, followed by Utah (98.525), Michigan (98.475), Georgia (98.450) and UCLA (97.950).
The Cardinal cooled off briefly when it returned to floor after a long bye in the fourth rotation. After a missed routine in the second spot, Stanford reeled off four scores of 9.825 or higher to finish with a 49.250 – the team's fourth highest score in the event on the season.
Rice punctuated the rotation with a team-best 9.900 in the anchor position. Price and Hanset earned scores of 9.850, while Shapiro and Haley Spector contributed results of 9.825.
Smyth was particularly impressed with the poise and confidence first-year starter Spector performed with during the high-pressure situation.
“Haley was a star today,” said Smyth. “It is her first year really seeing significant time in the lineup and she stepped up for us after a fall on floor with a great routine and got us back on track. She kept us in the meet and in a position to go to the Super Six.”
Stanford entered the final rotation on vault holding a nine-tenths advantage on Georgia and needing a 48.900 to overtake Michigan, who had already completed its competition, to secure a spot in the Super Six.
The Cardinal delivered.
Stanford gymnasts made sure they hit their vaults to secure the scores needed to earn a third-place result and a spot in the finals. Price led the Cardinal with a 9.950 and has recorded nine of the team's top 11 scores in the event this season.
Hong performed her first vault since the 2013 NCAA Championships semifinals and was second among Stanford gymnasts with a 9.850. Nicolette McNair (9.775), Hanset (9.750) and Danielle McNair (9.725) also contributed solid scores.
“Ivana on vault was a highlight for us tonight,” said Smyth. “We had her at the end of our rotation and were only going to use her if we needed a big score and she delivered. It was a special moment to have her help make sure we made the Super Six.”
Stanford will pursue its first NCAA title Saturday at 4 p.m. (PT) when it competes in the Super Six. The final three teams for Saturday's finale will be determined during tonight's second semifinal session at 5 p.m.
“I feel great about tomorrow,” said Smyth. “We made a statement today and still have room to improve. If we hit 24 routines, we can compete with anyone in the country and challenge for a national title.”
