STANFORD, Calif. – Coming off of three consecutive NCAA Championships appearances, returning 14 gymnasts and adding one of the nation’s elite freshmen, Stanford women’s gymnastics had high expectations entering the 2015 season.
The Cardinal did not disappoint.
Stanford returned to the NCAA Championships for the 12th time in the past 15 years, six gymnasts combined for nine All-America honors and the Cardinal finished fifth at the NCAA Championships with a 197.250 – the team’s second-highest score ever at an NCAA Championships competition.
Stanford is one of seven teams in the nation to make at least seven Super Six appearances in the past 14 years (2002-15).
Stanford battled through injuries and illness at the start of the season and built momentum throughout the year, eventually peaking in postseason competition.
“It took a tremendous amount of courage for this team to battle through all of the adversity they faced,” said Stanford head coach Kristen Smyth. “As I look back as a coach, it’s so rewarding to see what they were able to do – how they believed in themselves and their teammates, and to finish the way they did was really special.”
The Cardinal finished third at the Pac-12 Championships, the program’s 15th consecutive top-four finish. Freshman Elizabeth Price tied for the Pac-12 title on bars and was named the conference’s Specialist of the Year – an annual award given to the Pac-12’s top non-all-around gymnast.
“We knew what Ebee was going to bring this year in terms of gymnastics,” said Smyth. “She’s one of the best gymnasts in the world in every way. Her gymnastics are powerful and explosive. She emerged as a leader and shined in a lot of key areas. To see her excel at regionals and nationals was really fun to watch and we’re excited to have her for another three years.”
Stanford continued to roll at the NCAA Morgantown Regional, finishing second in the six-team competition to secure a spot at the NCAA Championships. Redshirt junior Ivana Hong claimed the beam title with a then-career-best 9.950.
The Cardinal really hit its stride at the NCAA Championships, posting a 197.175 in the semifinals to finish third and qualify to the Super Six. Stanford topped its score with a 197.250 in the finals to place fifth in the nation.
Stanford was well represented in All-America honors with Price, Hong, Taylor Rice, Samantha Shapiro, Nicolette McNair and Rebecca Wing combining for nine awards.
The Cardinal excelled on bars and beam throughout the championships weekend, tying or posting the highest scores of any team in both events during the semifinals and Super Six. Stanford registered a 49.575 on bars in both competitions – the third-highest scores in the event in program history. The Cardinal went 49.300 on beam in the semifinals and improved its score to 49.550 in the Super Six.
The weekend was capped by Price winning the vault national title at the NCAA Championships Individual Finals. Price scored 9.9333 to become the second Cardinal gymnast in program history to claim a national title on vault, joining Larissa Fontaine who earned the championship in 1998 with a 9.8625. Price’s vault score is the highest of any Stanford gymnast all-time at the individual event finals. She also finished fifth on bars with a 9.900.
Hong and Rice also competed during the final day of competition and finished second on beam and 13th on floor, respectively.
“I’m so proud of our athletes and staff for what we’ve been able to accomplish here at Stanford,” said Smyth. “It hasn’t been easy but Stanford student-athletes are amazing kids who work hard, love what they do and are team players. There’s a real sense of pride about what we’ve been able to accomplish in the past 14 years and each team wanting to continue the legacy that began in 2002 with an amazing group of student-athletes.”
Stanford Athletics presents "SWG's Super Weekend" - big scores, individual honors, & special moments! #DIBS http://t.co/D6yCgPfL7F
— Stanford Gymnastics (@StanfordWGym) April 21, 2015
Stanford will have some major holes to fill next season as it sees the graduation of seniors Pauline Hanset, Shapiro, Wing and Kristina Vaculik. The quartet advanced to the NCAA Championships all four years of their careers and made two Super Six appearances – producing two of the most memorable showings in program history in 2012 and 2015.
“The seniors brought a level of energy and enthusiasm to the gym beginning as freshmen,” said Smyth. “They knew it was their last go and you could see they were putting every last ounce of energy into their work, the team and creating a positive team dynamic. They were an amazing senior class that led this team and never gave up.”
Despite losing four seniors, the future remains bright for the program which returns 10 gymnasts, including four All-Americans and a national champion.
Along with returning All-Americans Hong, Rice, McNair and Price, the Cardinal expects to continue to receive regular contributions from Jenna Frowein, Rachel Daum, Danielle McNair and Haley Spector. Stanford also looks forward to the return of rising junior Melissa Chuang who missed the 2015 season due to injury.
“Every step of the way was a team effort this season,” said Smyth. “We could not have done what we did this year without the contributions from every person on the team.”
The Cardinal will also welcome the addition of incoming freshmen Hailee Hoffman, Taryn Fitzgerald and Dare Maxwell.
Expectations will remain high for Stanford moving forward as it returns a strong foundation and wealth of postseason experience.
“We’re excited about the freshmen coming in, new ideas, new energy and it should be a fun team to watch,” said Smyth. “We’ll be putting out a lot of different lineups to get people experience and by the end of the year we’ll again be really formidable.”
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The following is a rundown on honors accumulated by the team and individuals from the 2015 season:
Team
Seven NCAA Championships Super Six appearances in 14 years
12 NCAA Championships appearances in 15 years
Six gymnasts combined for nine All-America honors
101 All-America honors all-time
89 All-America honors since 2002 (Head coach Kristen Smyth’s first season)
32nd consecutive NCAA regional appearance
NCAA Morgantown Regional champion on beam (Ivana Hong)
Third-place finish at Pac-12 Championships
15th fourth-place or higher finish at Pac-12 Championships since 2001
Four gymnasts named All-Pac-12
Nine Pac-12 All-Academic selections
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Stanford Team Awards
Most Valuable Player - Kristina Vaculik, Taylor Rice
Most Inspirational - Ivana Hong
Cardinal Award - Pauline Hanset
Academic Award - Jenna Frowein
Most Improved - Haley Spector
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Rachel Daum
Pac-12 All-Academic honorable mention
Jenna Frowein (architecture)
Pac-12 All-Academic first team
Pauline Hanset (environmental engineering)
Stanford Athletic Board Spirit of Stanford Award
Pac-12 All-Academic honorable mention
Stanford Award of Excellence
Ivana Hong (human biology)
All-America first team on beam and second team on bars
First team All-Pac-12 on bars
Pac-12 All-Academic honorable mention
NCAA Morgantown Regional title on beam (9.950)
Stanford Award of Excellence
NACGC/W Regular Season All-America second team on beam
Stanford Athletic Board Block S Outstanding Female Junior award
Pac-12 Specialist of the Week (Jan. 20)
Nicolette McNair
Second team All-American on bars
Elizabeth Price
NCAA vault champion
Two-time first-team All-American (vault, bars)
2015 Pac-12 Specialist of the Year
First team All-Pac-12 on vault
NACGC/W Regular Season All-America first team on vault
Stanford Athletic Board Block S Outstanding Female Freshman award
Tied for Pac-12 title on bars with a 9.950
Pac-12 Specialist of the Week (March 10)
Pac-12 Freshman/Newcomer of the Week (Jan. 12)
Taylor Rice (international relations)
First team All-American on floor and second team in the all-around
First team All-Pac-12 in the all-around
Pac-12 All-Academic honorable mention
Pac-12 Specialist of the Week (Feb. 16)
Samantha Shapiro (engineering)
Second team All-American on bars
Second team All-Pac-12 on bars
Pac-12 All-Academic second team
Haley Spector
Pac-12 All-Academic honorable mention
Kristina Vaculik (human biology)
Pac-12 All-Academic honorable mention
NCAA Postgraduate Scholarship
Rebecca Wing (product design)
Second team All-American on beam
Pac-12 All-Academic first team
Stanford Award of Excellence
