Thanks once again to the accomplishments of its student-athletes and coaches, Stanford captured its 15th straight Directors' Cup for the 2008-09 campaign.
2008-09 Stanford Athletics Year In Review
Here's a recap of how Stanford's teams fared during the past year and some notable individual highlights.
Thanks once again to the accomplishments of its student-athletes and coaches, Stanford captured its 15th straight Directors' Cup for the 2008-09 campaign. Here's a recap of how Stanford's teams fared during the past year and some notable individual highlights.
In addition to helping his team to a 21-11 record and first home playoff match since 2003, Brandon Williams also got the job done in the classroom (4.015 GPA).
Richard Wire, men's tennis (Pac-10 All-Academic First Team)
Sage Wright, men's water polo (MPSF All-Academic Team)
Steven Wright, men's water polo (MPSF All-Academic Team)
Paul Zaich, men's swimming (Pac-10 All-Academic Second Team)
Steve Ziegler, men's golf (Pac-10 All-Academic Honorable Mention)
Ogi Zivojnovic, men's rowing (Pac-10 All-Academic First Team)
2008-09 ESPN The Magazine/CoSIDA All-Academic Selections
Cynthia Barboza, women's volleyball (All-District First Team, All-America First Team)
Elaine Breeden, women's swimming (All-District First Team)
Jason Dunford, men's swimming (All-District First Team)
Garrett Heath, men's track and field (All-District First Team, All-America First Team)
Carly Janiga, women's gymnastics (All-District Second Team)
Men's Cross Country
Stanford finished third at the NCAA Championships and was ranked as high as No. 2 in the nation by the USTFCCCA. Stanford climbed the national polls after winning the Stanford Invitational and the NCAA Pre-National White Race. The Cardinal followed through with runner-up finishes at the Pac-10 Championships and the NCAA West Regional, trailing only No. 1 Oregon. The Cardinal was led by All-Americans Chris Derrick and Garrett Heath. Derrick, Heath and Jacob Riley were named first team All-Pac-10, while Derrick was fifth at the NCAA West Regional and seventh at the NCAA Championships.
Women's Cross Country
Stanford finished eighth at the NCAA Championships. The Cardinal also placed third at the Pac-10 Championships and the NCAA West Regional, trailing eventual national champion Washington and national runner-up Oregon. During the regular season, the Cardinal captured the Stanford Invitational title. Laurynne Chetelat led Stanford for most of the year and was tabbed an All-West Regional selection. Alicia Follmar led Stanford at the NCAA Championships with a 57th-place finish.
Field Hockey
Stanford finished 9-11 overall, advancing to the NCAA Play-in game for the second straight season. The Cardinal was also crowned NorPac Tournament champions for the second year in a row with a 2-1 victory over No. 16 California. Stanford won seven of its final nine games to close out the season. Midori Uehara enjoyed a breakthrough season with team-high totals in goals (11) and points (22). Camille Gandhi was named the NorPac Player of the Year, in addition to earning NFHCA All-West Region First Team honors and being named a Third Team All-American by WomensFieldHockey.com.
Men's Water Polo
The Cardinal returned to the national championship game for the first time since 2005, falling just short of its 11th national title in a 7-5 loss to USC. Yet the performance was one to take pride in, as Stanford posted a 25-6 record and finished second in the MPSF standings with a 6-2 mark. Goalkeeper Jimmie Sandman returned to the pool after a year off in 2007 and was an anchor for the Cardinal defense, making 8.00 saves per game and boasting a GAA of just 4.93, figures which earned him first-team All-America honors and the MPSF Co-Player of the Year award.
Men's Soccer
Stanford never allowed more than two goals in a single match, the only team in the Pac-10 to accomplish the feat. However the Cardinal scored only 14 during a 4-11-3 season. Though Stanford suffered nine one-goal losses, it was a victory in a close game that highlighted its season: a 2-1 triumph over UCLA, handing the eventual Pac-10 champ its only loss in conference play.
The women's soccer team produced its best season in school history at 22-2-1, reaching the NCAA College Cup.
Women's Soccer
The Cardinal recorded its best season ever, finishing 22-2-1 and earning the program's second trip (and first since 1993) to the NCAA College Cup under NSCAA/adidas Coach of the Year Paul Ratcliffe. Led by four NSCAA/adidas All-Americans (Teresa Noyola, Lindsay Taylor, Kelley O'Hara, Marisa Abegg), Stanford established school records for wins (22) and goals (71). The Cardinal finished with the nation's second-best GAA (0.317) and shutout percentage (0.68) and sixth-best scoring offense (2.84 goals-per-game).
Women's Volleyball
Stanford opened the year with another challenging non-conference season, continued by defending two Pac-10 titles in the toughest conference in the nation, finished with a tough battle through the NCAA Tournament, and, for the fourth time in the last five years, was one of two teams left standing on the final day of the season. The Cardinal ended the year with a No. 2 national ranking, a 31-4 record, its 15th conference title and its 18th NCAA Final Four appearance, all collected while playing one of the toughest schedules in the nation.
Football
Stanford finished with an overall mark of 5-7 and tied for sixth in the Pac-10 with a 4-5 conference mark. It marked Stanford's seventh straight losing season, however, the Cardinal has improved on its win total each of the last two seasons after going 1-11 in 2006. Of Stanford's seven losses last season, three came by a touchdown or less, including a pair of last-second losses at UCLA and Oregon. Stanford's final rushing total of 2,395 yards was the second-highest single-season mark in school history, trailing only the 1949 squad that finished with a school-record 2,481 yards. Toby Gerhart rushed for a single-season school record 1,136 yards on 210 carries last season and became the fifth Stanford back to reach the 1,000-yard plateau.
Wrestling
Under the direction of first-year head coach Jason Borrelli, Stanford won eight duals, boasted four top-three Pac-10 placers for the first time in more than two decades and sent two wrestlers to compete for a national title at the NCAA Championships.
Squash
Stanford completed its final weekend at the Howe Cup of the CSA National Women's Team Championships, finishing the season in seventh place nationally to match its previous best effort established last year. Prior to the Howe Cup, Stanford swept its East Coast road trip with wins over Williams College, Brown, Dartmouth and Mount Holyoke.
Women's Basketball
Making its eighth NCAA Final Four appearance in school history, Stanford posted its second straight 30-win season by going 33-5 on the year. Stanford's 17-1 mark in Pac-10 play resulted in a ninth consecutive and 18th overall conference regular-season title, while three straight victories of over 25 points at the Pac-10 Tournament secured the Cardinal's sixth tournament crown. Stanford made its 22nd straight trip to the NCAA Tournament, capturing the Berkeley Regional title behind a school-record 46-point effort from Jayne Appel. Stanford suffered an 83-64 loss to Connecticut in the national semifinals.
Men's Basketball
Stanford closed out the year at 20-14 overall and 6-12 in Pac-10 play. For the 20th time in school history, the Cardinal reached the 20-win plateau. Following up last year's 28-8 mark, this is the first time since 2002-03 (24-9 overall) and 2003-04 (30-2 overall) that Stanford has posted back-to-back 20-win campaigns. Stanford secured a winning record for the 16th consecutive season and notched at least 18 victories for the third year in a row. The Cardinal also advanced to the postseason for the 16th straight year, reaching the semifinals of the College Basketball Invitational (CBI). Anthony Goods paced the Cardinal in scoring (16.2 ppg) while also leading the club in three-pointers (71) and free throws made (142).
Fencing
Stanford completed its 2008-09 season with another top national finish after placing ninth at the NCAA Championships. The Cardinal was particularly strong on the men's side where Lucas Janson and Max Murphy earned All-America honors. Stanford was in sixth place after the men's portion of the competition. Both Janson and Murphy competed in sabre where they finished ninth and 12th, respectively. The women were led by three-time All-American Eva Jellison, who finished 15th in sabre. Her eight wins fell just short of her fourth All-America honor. Stanford also captured its fourth consecutive West Regional title.
Men's Swimming and Diving
Stanford won its 28th consecutive Pac-10 championship- a conference record for any sport. The Cardinal completed an undefeated regular season and held the No. 1 national ranking heading into the NCAA Championships. At the NCAA Championships, Stanford finished third and earned 34 individual All-America honors as well as all five relays placing in the top four. Austin Staab won an individual national title in the 100 fly with an American and NCAA record time of 44.18, while the Cardinal also boasted five individual Pac-10 champions. Chad La Tourette was named Pac-10 Newcomer of the Year while head coach Skip Kenney was named Pac-10 Coach of the Year.
Led by Pac-10 Head Coach of the Year Skip Kenney, the men's swimming team picked up an eye-popping 28th consecutive Pac-10 championship.
Women's Swimming and Diving
Stanford completed the NCAA Championships with three individual champions, three American records, three U.S. Open records, a pair of NCAA records, three meet records and 10 athletes combining for 31 All-American honors. Cardinal athletes had 18 swims that ranked among the top-10 performers in Stanford history, while setting eight school records. Stanford was also honored as the top-ranked dual meet team in the country by the College Swimming Coaches Association of America (CSCAA) after posting a 20-0 record in head-to-head competition. Julia Smit capped an exceptional junior season by winning titles in both the 200-yard IM and 400-yard IM with record-breaking swims. Elaine Breeden reclaimed the NCAA title in the 200 butterfly, setting a meet record with a time of 1:50.98. Carmen Stellar was named Pac-10 Championships Diver of the Meet and became an All-American for the first time.
Synchronized Swimming
The Cardinal finished the season as the national runner-up after a second place finish at the National Collegiate Championships. Stanford did capture the West Regional title and completed an undefeated regular season. At the nationals, Stanford was led by a pair of third-place finishes in the duet and trio competitions. The duet of Taylor Durand and Debbie Chen scored 93.167 to earn the bronze medal, while in the trio competition, the team of Durand, Maria Koroleva and Olivia Morgan finished third with a score of 93.500. In addition, the Cardinal placed second in the team event. At the U.S. Nationals, Stanford finished fourth as the second collegiate team.
Men's Gymnastics
Stanford won the program's fourth national title, and first under the College Gymnastics Association's National Head Coach of the Year Thom Glielmi after crafting a 21-4 record. The Cardinal also captured its third MPSF Championship, led by All-American Sho Nakamori with four conference event titles. Along with Nakamori, six other Stanford gymnasts earned a total of 11 All-American awards at the NCAA Individual Event Finals.
Women's Gymnastics
Stanford reached the NCAA Championships for the seventh time in nine years and captured its third consecutive top-10 finish by placing eighth. The Cardinal was ranked No. 3 in the nation for four consecutive weeks, produced three consecutive scores of 197 for the first time in five years and beat its first 12 opponents for the best start in school history. Carly Janiga won the conference and regional all-around titles and was second on the uneven bars at nationals- Stanford's highest NCAA individual finish since 2001.
Men's Volleyball
The Cardinal went 21-11 overall, winning more matches in any season since its 1997 national championship year. The Cardinal earned its highest season-ending ranking (No. 6) since 2003, produced two first-team All-Americans - brothers Kawika and Erik Shoji - for the first time since 1993 and increased its victory total by 18 in just two seasons. Stanford twice beat teams ranked No. 2 in the country and defeated 11 teams ranked in the nation's final top-15.
Lacrosse
Stanford won its fifth consecutive MPSF championship, going undefeated in conference play for the first time since 2005 and capping the season with a stunning 8-6 upset at No. 3 Penn. Stanford tied school records for victories (14-4) and winning percentage (.778) and broke school marks for goals (264) and caused turnovers (200). Stanford tallied four 30-goal and seven 20-goal scorers, while MPSF Player of the Year Lauren Schmidt led the team in points (35 goals, 22 assists, 57 points).
Women's Water Polo
With a third place national finish, Stanford continued its run as the only team in the nation to qualify for every National Collegiate Championship since the NCAA first sponsored a national title in 2001. The Cardinal posted an overall record of 26-4 and claimed second place in the MPSF regular-season standings (6-1) and at the MPSF Tournament. The Cardinal's season also included the Irvine Invitational title in February, as Stanford defeated then-No. 1 USC to not only claim the crown but also the top spot in the national poll, which it would hold for eight weeks.
Women's Tennis
Stanford wrapped up the year with a 19-5 overall mark, playing in its 28th NCAA Tournament while finishing up with a national ranking of No. 13. The Cardinal suffered a 4-3 defeat to Baylor in the round of 16, representing the first year without a quarterfinal appearance since 1998. Stanford finished 6-2 in Pac-10 play, checking in third in the conference standings. Stanford extended its dual match home winning streak to 151 (121 regular season, 30 NCAA Tournament) in a row- the longest active home winning streak of any intercollegiate sport in NCAA Division I athletics. Meanwhile, Hilary Barte (singles, doubles) and Lindsay Burdette (doubles) were awarded All-America honors and earned a national runner-up finish on the doubles side.
The men's tennis team made its first NCAA Tournament round of 16 appearance since 2006, and with the likes of Bradley Klahn (above), the Cardinal appears loaded for the future.
Men's Tennis
The Cardinal (20-6, 3-3 Pac-10) made its 30th NCAA Tournament appearance since 1977, reaching the round of 16 for the first time since 2006. Stanford earned a No. 1 national ranking for the first time since 2002 after defeating both USC and UCLA and notching an 11-1 record near the midway point of the season. Bradley Klahn became only the fourth player in school history to win both the Pac-10 singles and doubles titles. Alex Clayton earned his second ITA All-American distinction by advancing to the quarterfinals of the NCAA Singles Championship.
Softball
The Cardinal finished 48-11 (.814), representing the best winning percentage in school history while once again finishing among the top 10 in the major collegiate softball polls. Additionally, Stanford tallied its 11th 40-win season, made its 12th-straight NCAA Tournament appearance and advanced to its fourth NCAA Super Regional in five years. Stanford matched its best conference record ever (13-8) and took fourth in the competitive Pac-10 conference.
Baseball
Despite a strong finish, Stanford narrowly missed out on the NCAA Tournament, finishing at 30-25 overall following a rough 4-10 start. Drew Storen capped five players drafted in the Amateur Draft, going 10th overall to the Washington Nationals. Storen is the 11th Cardinal since 1999 to go in the first round, a record amongst college programs over that period. Brett Mooneyham was named a freshman All-American by Collegiate Baseball and shortstop Jake Schlander was awarded the Pac-10's Defensive Player of the Year. Stanford finished 26-15 over its final 41 games. This was the 16th straight year and 32nd time in 33 years under Mark Marquess that the Stanford finished with a better than .500 record.
Men's Rowing
The Cardinal finished off a strong season by claiming a third-place national finish at the IRA Championships. The I Eight also claimed the silver medal at the Pac-10 Championships to go along with victories over Washington and Oregon State at the Stanford Invitational, while senior Alex Osborne was named Pac-10 Athlete of the Year. The II Eight finished in a dead heat with Syracuse in the petite final at the IRAs to claim seventh in the nation, while the Frosh Eight finished fourth in its petite final at the event.
Women's Rowing
Stanford claimed its first-ever team and individual national championships at the NCAA Championships. The Cardinal I Eight, ranked No. 1 in the country, captured NCAA gold in a hotly-contested Grand Final which also served to clinch the team national title. The performance capped off a memorable season for the Cardinal, which included the I Eight winning gold while setting the Lake Natoma course record at the Pac-10 Championships and defeating California at The Big Row. The II Eight earned the silver at the Pac-10 Championships in addition to bronze at the NCAA Championships, while the Four took fifth in the nation in its Grand Final. Head coach Yasmin Farooq and assistant coach Vaclav Kacir were named CRCA National and Assistant Coach of the Year, respectively. Erika Roddy claimed the Pac-10 Athlete of the Year award.
Sailing
Stanford finished the season as the ninth overall team in the country based on Fowle Trophy Points awarded at each of the six national championships held throughout the year. Sending sailors to both men's and women's singlehanded championships in the fall and qualifying for all three spring national championships (Women's and Team Racing on top of Coed) put the team in a position to score high in the Fowle Trophy tally. Kelly McKenna led Stanford, capturing her third consecutive All-America honor.
Men's Golf
Stanford qualified for its fourth trip in five years- and third straight overall- to the NCAA Championships. The Cardinal finished in the top-five on the leaderboard nine times out of 12 total tournaments, including a team crown at the USC/Ashworth Collegiate Invitational, and picked up an additional two top-10 performances. Stanford reached as high as No. 4 on the Golfweek College Rankings.
Women's Golf
Stanford got its season off to a great start during the fall with a win at the Edean Ihlandfeldt Invitational. Mari Chun led the Cardinal, capturing the individual medalist honor with a score of two-over-par. Chun led Stanford in scoring and top-10's throughout the season. At the Pac-10 Championships, the Cardinal placed sixth with Rebecca Durham pacing the squad with a 16th place finish. At the NCAA Central Regional, Stanford placed 14th and did not advance to the NCAA Championships.
Men's Track and Field
The Cardinal excelled at the national meets, finishing seventh at the NCAA Outdoor Championships and 11th at the NCAA Indoor Championships. Chris Derrick led Stanford with three All-America honors during the season, while Myles Bradley and Elliott Heath each earned a pair and Garrett Heath, Jake Riley and Daniel Schaerer were awarded a single honor. Other highlights came when Bradley captured the MPSF title in the 60-meter hurdles during the indoor season and Schaerer captured the Pac-10 title in the discus during the outdoor season. In addition, Derrick set a new American Junior Record in the 5,000 meters with a time of 13:29.98.
Women's Track and Field
Stanford earned a 12th place finish at the NCAA Indoor Championships, as well as advancing nine athletes in 10 events to the NCAA Outdoor Championships. The Cardinal captured the MPSF title during the indoor season, before finishing as the Pac-10 runner-up during the outdoor season. Lauren Centrowitz led the Cardinal with three All-America honors during the season, in addition to winning the mile at MPSF Championships and taking over as Pac-10 champion in the 5,000 meters. Other MPSF champions included Laurynne Chetelat (3,000 meters), Arantxa King (long jump) and Kate Niehaus (5,000 meters).
