Feb. 25, 2010

STANFORD, Calif. - There are 35 sports at Stanford. Each sport, each position, each role and each task is undeniably difficult, perhaps even grueling.

But taking all those into consideration, it's hard to imagine a truer test of will and strength than the still rings in men's gymnastics, and the Iron Cross in particular.

On the still rings, gymnasts subdue the natural swing of their bodies while suspended in mid-air, balancing body weight on chalk-covered hands gripping a pair of hanging plastic circles. The body uncoils as both arms straighten outward, and lock into what's known as the Iron Cross.

As sweat drips, the face reddens, the body quivers, and the muscles burn. For two seconds, the gymnast must hold his position to satisfy the requirement of the judges.

Two seconds.

Tim Gentry can hold it for 30.

Gentry, a native of Plano, Texas, is one of the best gymnasts in the country, a two-time All-American last season who recently cemented his place on the United States national team for the second consecutive year. The aspiring aerospace engineer delivered the blow that virtually assured Stanford of its first NCAA title since 1995 when his 15.45 score on the rings sent teammates into a frenzy and virtually clinched the 2009 team championship.

"It's come really naturally to me," Gentry said. "Being able to hold a position requires a lot of strength that most guys when they're younger haven't been able to develop. I've slowly developed it over time."

For the Stanford junior, the still rings and the vault and their demands are second nature. Muscle memory it's called - the ability of the body to transform stress into relative relaxation.

But to reach that state takes hours too numerous to estimate. In preseason, Gentry spends 60-90 minutes building "ring strength" three times a week. That strength building phase is over, but each workout at this point of the season begins and ends with core strengthening such as sets of 25-30 leg lifts. Asked for estimates on conventional exercises, Gentry said he could do 125 pushups, 35 pull-ups and 120 sit-ups at any one time.

This week, he leads the No. 4 Cardinal into a showdown against No. 1 Michigan, in the final home meet of Stanford's season, on Saturday at 7 p.m. at Burnham Pavilion and Gentry welcomes the challenge.

"I'm very confident when I compete," he said. "I've learned to manage pressure and any type of emotions I have. That's something I've had to learn."

Like any gymnast, Gentry had taken his lumps. When he was 13 and learning a new release on the high bar, he flew straight up and straight down, landing mouth first on the bar. He lost no teeth, but gained a few stitches.

The accident hardly phased him, and neither does the pressure of the NCAA Championships and the 2012 Olympics - two of his objectives.

"When I first got here, I had some meets that were a little bit rough," Gentry said. "I had to evaluate what I was doing wrong and why I was feeling so much pressure. Once I figured that out, I got a lot more confident. And, for me, it's all about confidence."

And the confidence to make one of the most difficult tasks in sports look so easy.

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MEN'S SWIMMING: Depth charge

There's a lesson that Stanford men's swimming coach Skip Kenney has preached to his team.

"Skip always talks about how every man counts," sophomore Geoff Cheah said. "This time, we really did prove that everybody does count."

That lesson sunk in during the last event of Saturday's Big Meet against California, the 400 freestyle relay. With the meet in the balance, Cheah anchored the Stanford's "B" team to third place, resulting in a four-point swing over the Cal "B's" and the difference in a 123.5-119.5 victory at Avery Aquatic Center.

Cheah did not realize the importance of the race beforehand. He was swimming down after the 200 backstroke when Kenney addressed the team for a final pep talk.

Cheah may not have heard the speech, but he had the right idea: "My goal was to beat the guy next to me," he said.

The team of Andrew Seata, Jake Allen, Rob Andrews provided the lead, and Cheah maintained the advantage to the finish.

For Cheah, it was an opportunity to make his mark. As a child growing up on the 11th floor in central Hong Kong, Cheah began swimming as a method for building up the strength in his lungs after being born with severe asthma.

Born in London to a Laotian mother, a biochemistry professor, and Taiwanese father, a banker, Cheah targeted Stanford from a young age for its academics and swimming program. Though he competed in a World Championships for Hong Kong, this is first Stanford season after an injury prevented him from competing as a freshman.

"Everyone on the team sort of wants to find their place," said Cheah, who will race in the 100 and 200 backstroke, and 50 free at the Pac-10 Championships this week. "I'm still trying. But what I really wanted to do was contribute. Now, I've felt I've done that."

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WOMEN'S WATER POLO: Homecoming Game

It hasn't been long since Kate Baldoni and Victoria Kennedy were playing water polo for the Corona del Mar High School Sea Queens. This weekend, the Stanford freshmen return to their home pool when the No. 1 Cardinal (9-0) plays in the Irvine Invitational.

When asked about the significance of the return, both players were excited about the homecoming and playing in front of family, friends, and former teammates and coaches. They also felt they are different players today.

"I've definitely gotten stronger physically," said Baldoni, a goalie. "And I've improved my posture in the water, getting to the ball quicker and being able to trust to shot-blockers."

Kennedy has switched positions, from a set position to a two-meter defender.

"My swimming's better and I've gotten more experience playing with these girls," Kennedy said. "But in the high school context, we were at the top of our game. Now, we're at the bottom."

While their return will bring back memories, it can't change disappointing losses in the CIF Southern Section Division II finals the past two years after winning the title as sophomores.

"I hate to say the disappointments were the best part, but it was so much fun being on a team where we trained so hard," Kennedy said. "Even though we didn't win, I learned how to react to that and not give up trying.

"All our hard work, even though it didn't pay off, was important to go through. We learned lessons that carry over today."

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LACROSSE: Former Coach Inducted

Stanford women's lacrosse is in its 16th year as a varsity sport, but its roots on The Farm go deeper, to its days as a club program.

Barbara Longstreth was one of those who built the foundation for the modern Stanford lacrosse program, having coached the Cardinal club team for four years in the 1980s, helping to organize the game at the college level in Northern California.

Longstreth, already a member of the National Lacrosse Hall of Fame, will be recognized for her lifetime of contributions in the sport in this region by being inducted into the Northern California Lacrosse Foundation Hall of Fame on Saturday in San Francisco.

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BASEBALL: Storen Reflects

Former Stanford reliever Drew Storen, now in the Washington Nationals' organization was asked during a Baseball America chat with readers whether Stanford's strength of schedule gave him an experience similar to a year or two in the minors.

"I would say it can be, depending on what you get out of your own experience," Storen said. "For me, Stanford helped me prepare for pro ball and I do feel like I can be an impact guy in the big leagues, regardless of whether I am the closer or middle relief."

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MEN'S BASKETBALL: The Wright Choice

Howard Wright (class of '89) a Stanford Hall of Famer who averaged 12.9 points in his collegiate career and went on to play 19 games over two seasons in the NBA, was appointed to the Board of Advisers for The Alliance for Digital Equality, a national non-profit that serves to create access to technology in underserved communities. Wright is the Vice President of Global Business Development at Qualcomm Incorporated in San Diego.

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ROWING: Kreek Opens Up About ADHD

Former Stanford rower Adam Kreek (class of '06), a two-time Canadian Olympian, opened up recently about growing up with Attention-deficit Hyperactivity Disorder.

"I found that the disorder isn't negative infliction but it gives positive energy as well," Kreek told TopNews.com.

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HOME GAME OF THE WEEK: Lacrosse's Top-Ranked Showdown

Rain or shine, the Stanford women's lacrosse team will test itself Friday with the toughest home opener imaginable, against No. 1 Northwestern, the five-time defending NCAA champion. The opening faceoff is scheduled for 4 p.m. at Laird Q. Cagan Stadium.

Stanford returns nine starters from a team that went 14-4 overall and won its fifth consecutive Mountain Pacific Sports Federation championship. The Cardinal returns 236 of its 264 goals it scored last year (89 percent), and all four of its 30-goal scorers - Sarah Flynn (36), Lauren Schmidt (35), Dana Lindsay (32) and Karen Nesbitt (30).

However, the Cardinal (1-1) struggled during a 16-7 loss at No. 6 Syracuse and will have to improve to have a shot at the Wildcats.

-- David Kiefer, Stanford Athletics

Ideas for future notebook items are welcomed. Please contact David Kiefer at dkiefer@stanford.edu. Past editions of the weekly Cardinal Insider can be found on the main page of gostanford.com by clicking on "General Releases" from the "Sports" pull-down menu.