June 10, 2008

STANFORD, Calif. - Stanford men's gymnastics head coach Thom Glielmi has announced his incoming class for the 2008-09 year. The class of '12 features four high school standouts from around the nation who have chosen to attend Stanford in the fall. Three hail from the East Coast, John Martin (Gainesville, Fla./Trilogy HS), Gabriel Alvarado (Miami, Fla./ HS), and Jordan Nolff (Millburn, N.J./Millburn HS), while one is a native of the Midwest, Cameron Foreman (Iowa City, Iowa/Iowa City HS).

The four men will no doubt increase the strength of Stanford's lineup in next year's competitions as they will be joining a young and talented squad that will attempt to improve on 2008's second-place finish at the NCAA Championships.

John Martin
(Gainesville, Fla./Trilogy HS)
Trained with the Sun Country gymnastics club with coach Mark Nelson ... Qualified for the Junior Olympic Nationals seven years in a row, twice making the Regional Team and advancing to the pommel horse finals on one occasion ... a USA Gymnastics Academic All-American all four years of high school.

Martin on making the decision to attend Stanford: "After my recruiting trip in November, deciding to come to Stanford was an easy decision. Stanford blew the rest of the schools out of the water."

Coach Glielmi on Martin: "Although John is a good all-arounder, he comes in with a large repertoire of skills on pommel horse and horizontal bar. As his endurance and strength develop, he will be one to watch on those events. He has had smart coaching, but I think being surrounded by elite athletes will push John to a higher level."

Gabriel Alvarado
(Miami, Fla./Gulliver Prepatory HS)
Trained at the South Miami Gymnastics Center from 2002-07 with coaches Norlan Perez and Antonio Juan, and most recently has been training at the Florida Gymnastics Training Center with Perez ... a Junior Olympic National Qualifier from 2004-08 ... Qualified for the pommel horse and all-around finals at the JO Nationals from 2005-07 ... a member of the Florida State Team that took first place in the Region VIII Championships in 2006 and 2008 ... took second place with a 13.4 on pommel horse and third in all-around with a 79.4 at the 2008 Florida State Championships ... A three-time USA Gymnastics Academic All-American First Team member (2005-08) ... Valedictorian of the Gulliver Prep Class of '08 ... Earned the Headmaster's award for Outstanding Academic Achievement all four years, the Gulliver's Scholar for Excellence in Algebra II and Trigonometry, Biology, AP Calculus AB, AP Calculus BC, Physics, and AP Government and Politics ... an AP Scholar with Distinction ... a National Merit Commended Student ... a National Hispanic Scholar Finalist.

Alvarado on making the decision to attend Stanford: "I am very excited about getting into Stanford and I can't wait to continue my education and my training at a place that offers the best of both. Of all the schools I looked into for my undergraduate education, Stanford was the only one in which I could best fulfill all my interests. The opportunities that Stanford offers me are endless for my future as a well-rounded professional."

Coach Glielmi on Alvarado: "Gabriel has the potential to challenge the line-up on pommel horse - he is aggressive, swings big and he looks like he is always on the edge. As his strength and endurance improve, so will his opportunities to bust into the pommel horse line-up."

Cameron Foreman
(Iowa City, Iowa/Iowa City HS)
Trained with the Iowa Gym-Nest club with coach Brad Virkler ... A five-time national qualifier ... In 2007, was the Region 4 All-Around Champion and a Nationals All-Around finalist, and qualified for the Visa U.S. Championships ... In 2008, was the Iowa State Champion in all-around, and took second place in the Region 4 All-Around Championship ... twice named the Iowa Gymnast of the Year (2007, 2008) ... a two-time member of the Junior Olympic Regional Team in 2007 and 2008 ... At Iowa City High School, was a member of the National Honor Society and the National Science Honor Society ... a member of Iowa Scholars.

Foreman on making the decision to attend Stanford: "Once I heard the news of my acceptance, it was an obvious choice to attend the one school that could offer such renowned academics and athletics."

Coach Glielmi on Foreman: "Cameron was a fantastic surprise for us and we are very pleased he chose Stanford. He has solid basics and solid difficulty on every event. I think for Cameron, he will have a huge upside when he is training in the Stanford gym with a team that will challenge him on a daily basis. He is a great addition to the team."

Jordan Nolff
(Millburn, N.J./Millburn HS)
Trained with Surgent's Elite gymnastics club with coaches Matt Stevenson and Rich Pulsfort ... In 2008, took fifth in all-around and first on still rings at the New Jersey State Championships and Regional Championships, also taking fourth on pommel horse at Regionals ... at the Junior Olympic Nationals, finished 25th in all-around and 12th on rings ... In 2007, was third in all-around at the New Jersey State Championships, 11th in all-around and fourth on pommel horse at Regionals, and took 49th in all-around and was a semifinalist on rings and vault at the Junior Olympic Nationals ... a Region 7 Team member in 2006 and 2008 ... graduating with honors from Millburn High School ... an AP Scholar ... a four-time USA Gymanstics First Team Academic All-American ... also competed in track and field, earning three varsity letters as a pole vaulter.

Nolff on making the decision to attend Stanford: "Being able to study at one of the world's leading universities and train amongst the top gymnasts in the country is a dream come true. I am really looking forward to beginning the next stage of my life at Stanford."

Coach Glielmi on Nolff: "Jordan comes from one of the best clubs in the country and his coaches have developed him into a solid all-arounder - he does not have a weak event. I anticipate Jordan making much progress and challenging the line-up on all events but I expect him to quickly develop on rings. And I am confident he will break into this line-up because of his solid basics and work ethic."