CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — Michigan’s Fred Richard won his second straight all-around individual crown Saturday night, and Cooper Kim and Jun Iwai each won individual titles to lead Stanford to its sixth NCAA men’s gymnastics championship since 2019.

Richard took home silver in the floor and parallel bars as he ran away with his third all-around individual national championship with a score of 83.598. Nebraska’s Max Odden (78.698) was second, 0.432 ahead of third-place Kristian Grahovski of Ohio State.

Stanford had 329.825 points, second-place Oklahoma finished with 328.495 and Michigan — the defending national champion — was third with 324.857. Asher Hong (14.300) took silver and Nick Kuebler (14.166) bronze on the rings in the final rotation to seal it for the Cardinal. Asher Cohen finished with a 14.500 to become the first Nebraska gymnast to win the rings since Jim Hartung in 1982.

Stanford claimed the program’s 11th national gymnastics championship; the Cardinal have won at least one NCAA team title for 50 straight seasons, since the men’s water polo team beat UCLA 13-12 for the national championship on Nov. 28, 1976. The next longest active streak is North Carolina’s seven straight years with at least one team title.

Iwai had a 14.433 on the vault, tied with Nebraska’s Tyler Flores for first. Landen Blixt of Michigan was third (14.366).

Flores, Nathan Roman (14.800 on the parallel bars) and Kelton Christiansen (14.400, high bar) each won individual titles for the second-place Sooners.

Kim scored a 14.466 to win gold on the floor to beat Richard (14.400). Kuebler and Tate Costa of Illinois finished third with 14.166.

Brandon Dang (Illinois) won the pommel horse with a score of 14.700, Michigan’s Aaronson Mansberger was second (14.566) and Colby Aranda of Oklahoma finished third with 14.133 points.

CHICAGO — The New York Mets will have to defy the odds if they plan on making the postseason this year after dropping their 10th consecutive game on Saturday, a 4-2 loss to the Chicago Cubs.

Only three teams in the divisional era (since 1969) have made the postseason after a double-digit losing streak — including last year’s Cleveland Guardians.

“No one is going to feel sorry for us,” Mets manager Carlos Mendoza said after the latest defeat. “We have to keep going. We haven’t been playing good baseball. We have 5½ months ahead. We have the opportunity to write our own story.”

The Mets say they can’t point to any single thing which has led them to their longest April losing streak in franchise history. They certainly aren’t hitting enough, scoring just 18 runs during the streak, the fewest for them over 10 games since June 3-5, 2018.

They’re also making bad pitches, like the one reliever Brooks Raley made to pinch hitter Carson Kelly in the sixth inning Saturday. Kelly deposited Raley’s first pitch cutter into the left-field bleachers for a three-run home run, breaking a 1-1 tie. The Cubs cruised to victory from there.

“We haven’t been able to put together a complete game,” Mendoza said. “It’s either the offense or starting pitching, like not making [that] pitch, not making a play, not getting a big hit. Just having a hard time playing a complete game right now.”

Mendoza’s job is seemingly safe after president of baseball operations David Stearns said Friday he thought his third-year manager was doing a good job and is putting players in a position to succeed. Of course, things can change if the losses continue to pile up for the Mets, who missed the postseason last year after a disastrous second half.

The team is trying not to focus on the negative this early in the season.

“It’s a big boy league,” infielder Marcus Semien said. “There is no time to dwell on tonight. Tomorrow is a new day … It’s as simple as showing up tomorrow with a good attitude. Hopefully other guys see a smile on my face when I show up.”

Semien and Mendoza offered up few solutions to the team’s plight, though getting All-Star Juan Soto back from a calf injury should help. But that won’t happen for a few more days. With DH Jorge Polanco (wrist) on the shelf as well, the Mets will need others to step up.

A late winter overhaul by Stearns led to a positive feeling about the team entering this season. But those additions, like Saturday’s starter Freddy Peralta, haven’t produced enough. Third baseman Mark Vientos did hit a long home run in the loss but New York’s offense was mostly quiet the rest of the day.

Mendoza was asked how he thought Mets fans were feeling right now.

“They have the right to be pissed and frustrated,” he said. “They care. Just like we do. … I understand how they’re feeling. I’d be pissed too, if I was a fan. I’m pissed. They’re pissed.”

The 10-game losing streak is the longest in April since the 2023 White Sox. The loss has the Mets 6½ games behind the Atlanta Braves in the NL East, an unusually large deficit for this time of year.

“It’s frustrating to lose baseball games and when you lose this many in a row, it compounds,” Semien said. “The game does not own you any wins. You have to go out and get it.”

The Mets rank in the bottom half of the league in most offensive and pitching categories, including home runs. They’ve hit just 15 this season, only ahead of the San Francisco Giants for fewest in the National League. Their starting pitching isn’t much better, ranking 21st in ERA.

The team is hoping Sunday will bring them different results.

“We have to do something to get in the W column,” Semien said. “No one is showing up thinking about how it’s going to happen again. We’re thinking about how we’re going to win.”

Mendoza added: “Were putting ourselves in a hole right now. There is only one way to [get out of] it. Come back tomorrow, ready to go.”

ESPN Research contributed to this report.

Sikandar Raza said that adding new teams to the PSL is a good decision as it will expand the player pool. In an exclusive interview with Express Tribune, he said that even with 8 teams, it may take years to discover new stars—nothing happens overnight. The league has reached this stage due to the important role of the five original owners, who came in at the beginning and remained committed for 10 years. Because of them, Multan Sultans were added earlier, and now Hyderabad Kingsmen and Rawalpindiz teams have joined.

Answering a question, he said if off-the-field issues are affecting your game, then you should not even step onto the field. If you are playing, you must forget everything outside. Lahore Qalanders lost a few matches due to poor performance; senior batters couldn’t perform, and I take a big share of the responsibility. I should have spent more time at the crease. The bowlers performed well. In Karachi, I probably couldn’t understand the pitch. I have learned my lesson and will try to perform better in upcoming matches.

Sikander added that not only Lahore Qalandars but players from other teams also spend good time together. New players show great respect, and such an environment is created that we forget that I am from another country. Usama Mir also recently said that only two foreign cricketers had arrived.

About Fakhar zaman

Sikandar Raza said that he jokes the most with Fakhar Zaman but respects him the most as well. He is the elder of the family. Our team bus turns into a school where he becomes the principal and gives lectures on various aspects of life. I have a great friendship with Abdullah Shafique; we trained together. I consider his failure as my own and help wherever I can. I also keep an eye on Lahore Qalandars players’ performances in Pakistan’s domestic events.

I am afraid of captaincy
Raza said that in Asia, people think becoming captain is a big achievement, but I am actually afraid of captaincy—what if I lose my temper or make something personal and damage a youngster’s career? I accepted captaincy because my country Zimbabwe needed me. I want to prepare a future captain so I can step away from the role.

Lahore Qalandars is my family; I never think about money

Sikander said that Sameen Rana and Atif Rana have created a family-like environment in Lahore Qalandars. Every player gets respect and love. The owners suffered heavy losses in the first 6–7 years, but they learned from it and found players who could build a family-like atmosphere.
He added that due to the PSL auction system, people began questioning his salary. They thought he would have earned more if he entered the auction. I requested owner Sameen Rana to keep me in the $40,000 Gold category, but later I found out I was retained for $100,000. I told him I wanted a lower category so we could take more money into the auction and bring our “family” back into the team. That was more important than money. Such values seem to be disappearing in Pakistan—how important family is.
Whether we win or lose, it was always with the same players. We knew Fakhar Zaman and Haris Rauf were being targeted by other franchises. Ubaid Shah and Usama Mir were also in our plans, and we might have had to go into bidding wars for them. That’s why I was happy even with the lowest salary. I believe what is destined will come—if not this year, then next or later. I never asked Sameen Rana for any under-the-table payments.

Shaheen has become smarter technically as a captain
Sikander Raza said people see Shaheen Afridi’s aggression on the field, but he is actually a humble and Down to earth person who can do anything for his team. When Sameen Rana and Shaheen formed a combination, the team environment improved further. Shaheen is an aggressive captain; whenever there’s a tough situation—like bowling the third over in the powerplay or when no wickets are falling—he steps forward himself. He leads from the front when the team needs him. Technically, he has also become smarter as a captain; earlier he followed his heart, but now experience has added more dimensions.

I want fans to return to PSL
Sikander Raza said he wants fans to return to PSL. Friends and relatives used to ask for tickets, and I’m ready to take that headache again because it means crowds will return. I want to see fans back in stadiums.

Sufiyan Muqeem is a tough bowler
Sikander Raza said that so far in this PSL, young Pakistani bowler Sufiyan Muqeem has been the toughest. Usama Mir is also an incredible bowler, and Ubaid Shah is performing very well.

T20 World Cup: We could have won matches in Super 8
Raza said Zimbabwe made history by reaching the Super 8 stage in the T20 World Cup. As a player, the event was good for me, but as a captain, I made some mistakes that cost the team. After reaching Super 8, there was so much hype that we considered it our limit—that what we achieved was enough. I believe we could have won matches at that stage too, but we didn’t due to mistakes from me and the team.
In the match against South Africa, I was set. If I had played the full overs, we could have scored 175–180 and won. As a captain, that would have felt like a real achievement.

Life in Zimbabwe is peaceful
Sikander Raza said life in Zimbabwe is peaceful. There are 80–90 Pakistani families there. We get good food at home and during weekend gatherings, so we don’t miss Pakistani cuisine. People there show great respect. After participating in the World Cup, conditions have improved further. I also sent two young cricketers to Pakistan through Lahore Qalandars to improve their performance. There is also an agreement between Zimbabwe and Qalandars, which will encourage more youngsters to take up the sport.

After COVID, I didn’t believe I would play cricket again
Sikander Raza said after COVID, he didn’t even believe he would play cricket again. Surgeries were a very difficult time. I stopped thinking about the future and accepted whatever would happen. Then I found peace. Now, even if I’m told that tomorrow is my last match, I won’t have any problem.