Thirteen college students, one trip to Cancun. It had the potential to be fun, carefree, exciting and wild. While Cancun is notorious for bringing out the crazy antics of college students, it instead brought out some crazy tricks by the Stanford women’s gymnastics team, who finished second at the Cancun Gymnastics Classic.

But the mood was certainly not lighthearted or carefree for the Cardinal, who had been training for one goal: to focus and compete well.

On Jan. 6, the team opened its season at the Moon Palace Resort in the Classic and threw last year’s worries behind. Injuries that once plagued almost a third of the team last season have now faded, and many who were injured last year competed well.

“Every time I have to sit out it’s extra-motivating,” sophomore Liz Tricase said.

Three Stanford gymnasts captured individual event titles at the Cancun Classic, and, ironically, they were the ones sitting out meets due to injury last year.

Senior Natalie Foley garnered the balance beam title (9.775); senior Glyn Sweets gained the vault title and a No. 3 national ranking with a 9.925 and Tricase’s win in the uneven bars (9.875) was good enough to earn her a second-place national ranking.

“Honestly, the quality of gymnastics has improved immensely,” Sweets said. “It helps so much to have so many people healthy.”

The meet was suspense-packed as early falls and miscues made leaders come out from the bunch. The team began on bars, where head coach Kristen Smyth said the team has the greatest depth and artistry. Sophomore Tabitha Yim, scheduled to compete, was replaced by Sweets, but two falls hampered the positive flow of the meet.

Co-captain Foley scored a 9.75 to achieve Smyth’s goal to hit at least five of six routines.

The team advanced to beam, where sophomore Alex Pintchouk replaced Yim and scored a 9.575. Again, a fall in the second routine provided a slump, but this did not appear to affect the routine of freshman Kelly Fee, which earned her a 9.675.

“[Fee] performed as solid as I have ever seen her,” Smyth said.

Other notable performances were by Tricase, who was seventh (9.8) in vault; Yim, who placed third with a tremendous 9.9 in floor and Foley, who placed fifth (9.875) in floor.

With healthy gymnasts now tumbling, dancing and jumping, the win was up for grabs. Only the team scores were left to be tabulated.

Georgia, the top-ranked gymnastics team in the nation and six-time national champion, stuck out as the team to beat. These NCAA warriors could be the measuring stick for championship contention, and Stanford faced them in its first meet.

But the Cardinal placed second with a score of 194.85 behind Georgia (195.65). Denver (193.85), Oklahoma (193.325), and Arizona (192.925) followed.

Georgia dominated the all-around, with freshman and 2004 Olympian Courtney Kupets winning (39.225) and sophomore Katie Heenan placing second. Kupets, who earned third in floor and second in bars, and Heenan, who won the floor exercise title (9.95) and placed fourth in bars, were strong forces behind the Georgia win.

For the Cardinal, Foley placed third (38.975) in the all-around competition, freshman Nicole Ourada earned fifth (38.925) and Fee placed sixth (38.725).

When asked if there was any pressure competing against Georgia in the first meet, Smyth said there was not.

“The one thing I really want the team to focus on is their own performance,” she said. “We are focusing this year on performance goals instead of outcome goals, trying to control the things we can control, to finish each meet feeling real good about our performance and effort and try and get a little better every single weekend. And if we can do that, we can have no regrets.”

Stanford may be on its way to being one of the top three teams at this season’s end. As of Jan. 3 Stanford is ranked third in the nation.