Stanford Inks 2024 Signing Class
STANFORD, Calif. – Stanford welcomes another stellar incoming class to The Farm next season, as head coach Thom Glielmi announced the signing of six of the top junior gymnastics recruits on Tuesday afternoon.
A group full of national team and international experience, the incoming freshman contingent includes Xander Hong, Cooper Kim, Kiran Mandava, Wade Nelson, Marcus Pietarinen, and Kai Uemura.
"I am very excited to have this stellar incoming class joining us next season," Glielmi said. "Several of this class, Kai, Cooper, Xander, and Kiran have been on the USA Junior National Team, which bodes well for their preparedness moving into the senior ranks. Marcus brings tremendous international experience competing for his home country of Finland, and seeing Wade's progress this year shows he will also be vying for a national team spot."
The Cardinal newcomers join a Stanford squad that is coming off its fifth consecutive national championship in April, becoming just the second men's gymnastics program in NCAA history to accomplish the far.
"What I am most excited about with this class is their sheer love of the sport," Glielmi added. "It is obvious watching them compete that they love to be in the heat of the battle, and this is great for Stanford men's gymnastics."
Xander Hong | Tomball, Texas | Cypress Academy of Gymnastics
• USA Junior National Team Member
• 2024 Men's Development Program National Championships – 1st-PB; 2nd-HB; 4th-AA; 5th-SR; 8th-PH (Jr. 18)
• 2024 Winter Cup - 2nd-PB (Jr. Division)
• 2024 Elite Team Cup - 1st-Team
• 2023 Xfinity U.S. Gymnastics Championships - 2nd-PB; 3rd-AA; 4th-SR; 5th-PH; 6th-FX, HB (Jr. 17)
• 2023 Core Hydration Classic - 1st-AA, PH, HB; 2nd-SR; 8th-FX (Jr. Division)
• 2023 Elite Team Cup - 4th-Team
• 2022 Men's Development Program National Championships - 1st-AA; T-1st, PH; 2nd-PB; 3rd-SR; T-3rd-VT; T-8th-FX (JE L10 16)
• 2021 U.S. Gymnastics Championships - 2nd-PB; 5th-PH; 6th-AA; 7th-FX (15-16)
• 2021 Men's Development Program National Championships - 3rd-PH; 6th-AA, PB; 7th-SR; 8th-FX, HB (JE L10 15)
• 2019 Men's Junior Olympic National Championships - 2nd-PH; 3rd-AA; T-4th-HB; 6th-PB; T-8th-SR (JE L9 Age 13)
• 2018 Men's Junior Olympic National Championships - 3rd-AA, PB; T-4th-PH, SR; 6th-HB (JE L8 Age 12)
• 2017 Men's Junior Olympic National Championships - 1st-SR; 2nd-PH; 9th-AA (JE L8 Age 11)
Cooper Kim | Grand Ledge, Mich. | Capital City Flips
• USA Junior National Team Member
• 2024 Men's Development Program National Championships – 4th-FX; 5th-VT; 7th-AA (Jr. 18)
• 2024 Elite Team Cup - 5th-Team
• 2023 Xfinity U.S. Gymnastics Championships - 4th-VT; 5th-FX, HB; 8th-AA (Jr. 17)
• 2023 Men's Development Program National Championships - 2nd-VT; 3rd-FX (JE L10 17)
• 2023 Winter Cup - 2nd-FX (Jr. Division)
• 2023 Elite Team Cup - 3rd-Team
• 2022 OOFOS U.S. Gymnastics Championships - 1st-FX, VT; 3rd-HB; 4th-AA; 8th-PB (Jr. 16)
• 2022 Men's Development Program National Championships - 1st-VT, HB; 3rd-FX; 4th-AA; T-6th-SR (JE L10 16)
• 2019 Men's Junior Olympic National Championships - 1st-FX, HB; 2nd-AA, VT, PB; T-4th-SR (JE L8 Age 12)
• 2018 Men's Junior Olympic National Championships - 2nd-HB; 4th-AA, SR; 6th-FX; 7th-PH; T-7th, VT (JE L8 Age 11)
Kiran Mandava | Cypress, Texas | Cypress Academy of Gymnastics
• USA Junior National Team Member
• 2024 Men's Development Program National Championships – 1st-AA, HB; 2nd-PH; 4th-SR; 7th-FX (Jr. 18)
• 2024 DTB Pokal Team Challenge - 1st-Team; 3rd-PH, PB (Jr. Division)
• 2024 Winter Cup - 2nd-PH; 3rd-AA, PB, HB; 6th-SR (Jr. Division)
• 2024 Elite Team Cup - 1st-Team
• 2023 Xfinity U.S. Gymnastics Championships - 2nd-AA, PH, HB; 3rd-SR, PB; 7th-VT (Jr. 17)
• 2023 Men's Development Program National Championships - 1st-AA, PH, SR, PB, HB; 3rd-VT; T-5th-FX (JE L10 17)
• 2023 Elite Team Cup - 4th-SR; 9th-AA (Jr. Division)
• 2023 Elite Team Cup - 4th-Team
• 2022 OOFOS U.S. Gymnastics Championships - 1st-PH; 2nd-AA, SR, PB; 5th-VT; 7th-HB (Jr. 16)
• 2022 Men's Development Program National Championships – T-1st-PH, SR; 3rd-AA; T-3rd-VT; 5th-FX; T-5th-HB (JE L10 16)
• 2022 Winter Cup - 5th-SR (Jr. Division)
• 2022 Elite Team Cup - 2nd-Team; 9th-AA
• 2021 U.S. Gymnastics Championships - 4th-SR (15-16)
• 2021 Men's Development Program National Championships - 2nd-PH; 3rd-AA, SR, PB; 4th-FX; 6th-HB (JE L10 15)
• 2019 Men's Junior Olympic National Championships – T-3rd-PH; 7th-AA; 8th-FX (JE L9 Age 13)
• 2018 Men's Junior Olympic National Championships - 6th-PH; 7th-SR; 8th-HB; 10th-AA (JE L8 Age 12)
Wade Nelson | Santa Ana, Calif. | SCATS Gymnastics
• 2024 Men's Development Program National Championships – 2nd-VT; T-8th-FX
• 2023 Xfinity U.S. Gymnastics Championships - 2nd-VT; 7th-FX (Jr. 17)
• 2023 Core Hydration Classic - 1st-VT; 3rd-AA, FX; 5th-SR, HB; 6th-PB (Jr. Division)
• 2023 Men's Development Program National Championships - 7th-FX; T-7th, VT (JE L10 17)
• 2022 Men's Development Program National Championships - 1st-VT; T-4th-SR; T-7th-AA (JN L10 16)
• 2021 Men's Development Program National Championships - 1st-VT; 5th-FX (JE L9 14)
• 2019 Men's Junior Olympic National Championships, T-8th-SR (JE L8 Age 12)
• 2018 Men's Junior Olympic National Championships - 4th-FX; 9th-AA (JE L8 Age 11)
Marcus Pietarinen | Vantaa, Finland | HIFK Gymnastics
• Finland Junior National Team Member
• 2024 Finnish National Championships - 3rd-HB; 4th-AA, FX, PH, SR
• 2024 Nordic Championships – 4th-Team; 2nd-PH; 5th-AA, HB, PB; 6th-SR
• 2023 Junior World Championships – 7th-SR
• 2023 DTB Pokal Team Challenge – 5th-Team; 1st-PH; 4th-FX; 5th-PB; 7th-AA
• 2023 Northern European Championships – 3rd-Team; 1st, FX; 2nd-AA; 4th-PH, 6th-SR
• 2023 Nordic Junior Championships – 1st-Team, AA, FX, SR; 2nd-PH
• 2023 Finnish National Championships – 1st, PB, PH, SR; 2nd-AA (Jr. Division)
• 2023 DTB Pokal Team Challenge – 8th-Team
• 2022 Finnish Championships – 1st-FX, PH; 2nd-AA, HB, SR; 4th-PB (Jr. Division)
• 2022 Austrian Future Cup –1st, FX (Jr. Division)
Kai Uemura | Chicago, Ill. | Lakeshore Academy of Art Gymnastics
• USA Senior Development and Junior National Team Member
• 2024 Pacific Rim Championships - 1st-Team; 4th-FX
• 2024 DTB Pokal Mixed Cup - 1st-Team
• 2023 Junior World Championships - 6th-Team; 8th-SR
• 2023 Xfinity U.S. Gymnastics Championships - 1st-AA, PH, SR, PB, HB; 3rd-FX (Jr. 17)
• 2023 Men's Development Program National Championships - 2nd-AA, PH, SR; T-2nd-PB; 3rd-HB; 4th-VT (JE L10 17)
• 2023 Winter Cup - 1st-AA, HB; 6th-SR (Jr. Division)
• 2023 Elite Team Cup - 3rd-Team
• 2022 DTB Pokal Cup - 1st-Team (Jr. Division)
• 2022 OOFOS U.S. Gymnastics Championships - 1st-AA, PB, HB; 3rd-PH, SR; 4th-FX; 6th-VT (Jr. 16)
• 2022 Winter Cup - 2nd-PB; 6th-FX, PH (Jr. Division)
• 2022 Elite Team Cup- 3rd-AA; 5th-Team
• 2021 U.S. Gymnastics Championships - 1st-HB; 2nd-AA, VT; T-3rd-PH; 4th-PB; 7th-SR (15-16)
• 2021 Men's Development Program National Championships - 1st-PH, PB, HB; 2nd-AA, FX, VT (JE L10 15)
• 2021 Winter Cup - 2nd-AA, PB; 3rd-FX; T-5th-SR; 6th-HB (Jr. Division)
• 2021 Elite Team Cup - 4th-Team
• 2020 Elite Team Cup - 4th-Team
• 2019 Men's Junior Olympic National Championships - 1st-PH; 2nd-AA, SR; T-3rd-FX, VT; 4th-PB (JE L9 Age 13)
• 2018 Men's Junior Olympic National Championships - 3rd-FX; T-5th-VT; 7th-AA (JE L8 Age 12)
• 2017 Men's Junior Olympic National Championships - 1st-PH; T-3rd-FX; 5th-AA (JE L8 Age 11)