Air Force Academy

STARTING THE SEASON OFF RIGHT
The Air Force men's gymnastics team opens the 2006 campaign hosting the 20th-annual Rocky Mountain Open. The Falcons will host top-ranked Oklahoma and No. 10 Nebraska, as well as the club teams from Arizona State, Washington and the U.S. Olympic Training Center.

Action begins with the team competition on Friday (Jan. 13) at 7 p.m. in the Cadet West Gymnasium. The top eight finishers in each event will move on the event finals, which will take place at 1 p.m. on Saturday (Jan. 14). Admission is free to the Rocky Mountain Open.

HOSTING SOME OF THE BEST
Once again, Oklahoma is the preseason favorite, earning five first-place votes in the annual 'GymInfo' preseason coaches poll. Nebraska is ranked 10th in the season-opening rankings, while the Falcons are listed among those teams that also received votes.

LAST YEAR AT THE RMO
The Falcons picked up a fourth-place finish at the 2005 Rocky Mountain Open, with a team score of 184.700 to earn the fourth-place score. Oklahoma won the meet with a team score of 215.425, while Nebraska finished second with 206.625. Arizona State claimed third (193.325), while Washington (184.625) and four members from the USOTC (119.300) finished fifth and sixth, respectively.

THE CAPTAIN
Senior Brian Moore was selected as the captain of the 2006 squad. This is the second straight season that Moore has represented the team as a captain, as he also served as a co-captain during his junior year. It is just the fifth time in the 50 year history of the Falcons' program that a gymnast has served as captain in back-to-back years. The last two-time captain was Joel Miller during the 1991-92 seasons.