MPSF Competes at NCAA

4/19/2010 12:00:00 AM

April 19, 2010

#4 STANFORD came within less than a point of repeating as national champions on Friday in West Point NY, posting a team score of 359.800, second to Michigan's 360.500. The outcome marked the third straight top-two national finish for the Cardinal. Eddie Penev won the vault with his season-best (16.4), while Nick Noone (15.45) and Ryan Lieberman (15.25) turned in the top parallel bars routines. Stanford won that event as a team (59.70). Penev added a second place floor performance (15.85). The Cardinal had plenty of All-American outings in the individual finals Saturday, including Penev and Lieberman's national titles on vault (16.45) and parallel bars (15.1) respectively, the first NCAA title for each gymnast.

#2 OKLAHOMA finished third at the NCAA Championships with an overall score of 357.050. Junior Steven Legendre placed second all-around (88.950). The Sooners had a pair of top team finishes on the pommel horse (58.250) and vault (64.200), as Alex Naddour turned in the top horse score (15.45). Individually on the final night, the Sooners brought home a pair of national champions. Legendre won his third national title on the floor (16.100) while Naddour won the horse (15.425) for All-American honors. Junior Ian Jackson finished ninth on vault (14.750).

#6 CALIFORNIA finished fifth at the NCAA's (354.700), as junior Bryan Del Castillo turned in a fourth place all-around (88.050) and sophomore MPSF Gymnast of the Year Glen Ishino taking fifth (87.500). Ishino was fifth on horse (14.800) and in the individual finals on Saturday, would turn in the highest Cal finish with a second-place horse routine (15.15) for All-American honors.

#10 NEBRASKA placed ninth at the NCAA's, posting a team score of 343.100. Kyle Shanahan and Andreas Hofer both reached the all-around finals, while senior Tony Maras earned a spot in the still rings qualifier for the third consecutive year. In the individuals on the final night, Anthony Ingrelli took home All-American honors on rings by placing sixth (15.05), the first Husker to achieve the honor since 2007.

#13 AIR FORCE head coach Kip Simons and assistant Brett McClure were named NCAA West Region coach and assistant of the year, respectively, prior to the start of the NCAA Championships in West Point, NY. The 2010 Falcons claimed their first-ever USAG National Championship in late March, and recorded five of their top-six all-time team scores throughout the season. Air Force sent a record nine gymnasts to the championships, and posted three new individual and seven Academy marks.