The NCAA title streak is alive and well, hitting 40 consecutive years thanks to men’s soccer in the fall. Seeded eighth in the draw, the Cardinal was that team perfectly straddling the line between obvious favorite and trendy darkhorse. When it was all said and done, Stanford – which had already earned the respect of fellow contenders throughout the season – emerged as the nation’s premier program.
Which begs the question, who’s next? As the winter sports continue and spring teams get underway, the latest edition of Farm 5 takes a look at five teams to keep an eye on as Stanford chases its 109th NCAA championship.
Farm 5: Individual Moments (Dec. 21)
Farm 5: Top Fall Rookies (Nov. 1)
Farm 5: Best Wins To Date (Sept. 21)
Farm 5: Summer Standouts (Aug. 30)
Men's Gymnastics
Prior to men’s soccer in the fall, the most recent NCAA champion on the men’s side was head coach Thom Glielmi’s troops in 2011. That one was extra special, representing NCAA title No. 100 on The Farm, and it came two years after the Cardinal had won it all under Glielmi in 2009. Ranked No. 2 in the nation, Stanford has looked strong through its first three meets of the season, including Sunday’s record-setting effort at Cal. The Cardinal returns all but two gymnasts from last season, led by perhaps the nation’s top overall performer in junior Akash Modi, along with fellow All-Americans in senior Brian Knott, sophomore Robert Neff, junior Taylor Seaton and senior Dennis Zaremski. Ohio State might have an edge by hosting NCAA's while a dual at Oklahoma in March will provide Stanford with a measuring stick heading into the postseason. But keep an eye on the Cardinal.
Women's Swimming and Diving
If women’s water polo has become the most consistent NCAA title-winning program, women’s swimming and diving might be the next in line. Not only is head coach Greg Meehan’s current roster stacked with talented performers, it’s only going to get better next year when Katie Ledecky steps foot on campus. Also ranked No. 3 in the country, the Cardinal has been very sharp in the early going as the season continues to ramp up with just a few duals left before Pac-12 Championships. Even with sophomore Simone Manuel redshirting as she trains for the U.S. Olympic Team Trials, Stanford boasts 13-time All-American junior Lia Neal while sophomores Janet Hu, Ally Howe and Lindsey Engel and senior Sarah Haase all earned multiple All-America honors in 2015. Not to mention, freshmen Ella Eastin, Leah Stevens and Kim Williams have been terrific so far.
Women's Water Polo
Winners of back-to-back NCAA titles and four overall in five years, head coach John Tanner’s squad knows how to win and perform under pressure. All-America honorable mention junior Jamie Neushul steps into the role of veteran leader, sophomore Jordan Raney looks to build on a stellar rookie campaign while sophomore Katie Dudley, junior Dani Jackovich, senior Gurpreet Sohi and senior Anna Yelizarova each scored 20 goals last season. Like women’s swimming, they’re missing some firepower as senior ACWPC Player of the Year Maggie Steffens, senior goalkeeper Gabby Stone and would-be freshman Makenzie Fischer are in the midst of U.S. Olympic training. But a fifth-place finish at the World University Games last summer as the United States representative should only help the talented Cardinal get a jump on building that winning chemistry.
Men's Golf
Two years ago, head coach Conrad Ray’s top-seeded bunch made a spirited run at the natty, falling to Oklahoma State in the semifinals as Stanford chased its ninth NCAA championship and first since 2007. Even after taking a step back at NCAA’s last season, the Cardinal captured two tournament titles and established itself as the league’s top dog by repeating as Pac-12 champs. So, what will it take to duplicate the storybook NCAA title run from its counterparts on the women’s side in 2015? The Cardinal already boasts arguably the nation’s best player in junior All-American Maverick McNealy, who won three events in the fall and increased his career win total to nine, trailing only Tiger Woods (11) and Patrick Rodgers (11) on The Farm. Senior David Boote, sophomore Jeffrey Swegle and junior Viraat Badhwar combined to notch four top-25 finishes during the fall. Golf’s NCAA format makes it tough for predictions, but the McNealy-led Cardinal finished the fall ranked No. 5 and has all the characteristics of a sleeper.
Women's Tennis
You wouldn’t necessarily be going out on a limb by including 17-time NCAA champion women’s tennis among this group. After all, head coach Lele Forood has compiled an eye-popping 368-32 record at the helm, leading tradition-rich Stanford to seven national championships. Consider this: only two four-year classes (1992-95, 1993-96) did not win at least one championship during their time on The Farm. All-American juniors Taylor Davidson and Caroline Doyle are still seeking their first, but they’ll get a significant boost when classmate and 2015 NCAA singles runner-up Carol Zhao returns in the spring after training with the Canadian National Team. Freshmen Caroline Lampl, Melissa Lord and Kimberly Yee will likely anchor the bottom of the lineup and even though the Cardinal might be one year away, it’s hard to discount a team that has won 10 of its last 12 NCAA matches when seeded lower than its opponent.
