STANFORD, Calif. – Stanford was ranked eighth in the 2016 preseason national coaches poll and picked to finish third in the Pac-12 in a vote by conference coaches.
All but one of the Cardinal’s nine regular season meets will feature at least one top-25 opponent. Stanford faces nine teams ranked in the top-25, including six meetings against programs in the top-10.
Stanford received 1863 votes in the national coaches poll to join Pac-12 counterparts Utah (No. 4) and UCLA (No. 6) in the top-10.
The Cardinal was picked to finish third in the Pac-12 in a vote by the conference’s head coaches and received one first-place vote.
Stanford returned to the NCAA Championships for the 12th time in the past 15 years in 2015, with six gymnasts combining for nine All-America honors. 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).
The Cardinal returns four All-America gymnasts who have combined for 10 honors, including defending NCAA vault champion Elizabeth Price and beam runner-up Ivana Hong.
2016 Preseason Coaches National Poll
1. Oklahoma - 2266 points (29 first-place votes)
2. Florida - 2234 (15)
3. Alabama - 2174 (4)
4. Utah - 2171 (14)
5. LSU - 2119 (3)
6. UCLA - 1922
7. Michigan - 1912
8. Stanford - 1863
9. Georgia - 1839
10. Auburn - 1811
11. Nebraska - 1801
12. Oregon State - 1491
13. Arkansas - 1457
14. California - 1411
15. Illinois-Champaign - 1369
16. Denver - 1368
17. Penn State - 1246
18. Arizona - 1178
19. Boise State - 1154 (1)
20. Minnesota - 1024
21. Kentucky - 876
22. Ohio State - 869
23. Missouri - 852
24. Southern Utah - 829
25. Central Michigan - 821
Pac-12 Preseason Coaches Poll
1. Utah (6) 49
2. UCLA 41
3. Stanford (1) 39
4. Oregon State 30
5. California 24
6. Arizona 21
7. Washington 13
8. Arizona State 7
