Air Force Academy

Feb. 14, 2007

After a week away from competition, the Air Force men's gymnastics returns to action on Saturday, Feb. 17, with the annual Service Academy Classic in San Francisco, Calif. The Falcons will face Army and Navy at Herbst Pavilion in the Fort Mason Center at 7 p.m. (PST). This will be the second straight meet where Air Force will face service academy foe Army, as the Black Knights and Falcons met at the Academy on Feb. 3

Weekly Release 04 - at Service Academy Classic
Download Free Acrobat Reader

YOU LOOK FAMILIAR: In addition to the Falcons recently hosting Army on Feb. 3, the Black Knights hosted Navy on Feb. 10 in an N-Star competition. However, this will be the only meeting of the season for Air Force and Navy.

NATIONAL NOTICE: Junior Greg Stine was invited to participate in the prestigious Winter Cup Challenge on Feb. 8-10. Stine is just the third Academy gymnast in the history of the program to participate at the nationally-recognized meet, which will help determine the U.S. Senior National Team. Note: Due to an injury sustained at the Rocky Mountain Open, Stine was unable to participate in the event.

IT'S ALL ABOUT IMPROVEMENT: Against Army, the Falcons, who have steadily improved over the season, scored their highest team total to date, topping the previous season-high by nearly five points. As a team, Air Force increased its season-best scores in five of the six events. The Falcons won the pommel horse with a season-high 30.150, while also improving on the still rings (31.950), vault (30.350), parallel bars (32.500) and high bar (30.850).

CALIFORNIA DREAMIN': This week's meet marks the first of three straight competitions in California for the Falcons. Following the Service Academy Classic in San Francisco on Feb. 17, Air Force heads across the bay for the Pacific Coast Classic in Oakland on Feb. 24. The Falcons wrap up their tour of the Golden State at the Peter Vidmar Invitational in Los Angeles, Calif., on March 1.

CLOSE TO HOME: Two of the Falcons' three meets in California are less than an hour's drive away from the hometowns of sophomore still rings specialist Jacob Schonig (Los Gatos) and freshman manager Robert Durbin (Dublin).

HOME SWEET HOME?!: Home is where the heart is, but home is NOT where the Falcons will be this season. Air Force closed out the home slate during its dual meet with Army - just three weeks into the season. The Falcons, who compete as a team in 12 meets, will see the inside of Cadet West Gym for just two.

RECAPPING THE ARMY DUAL: Despite earning two first-place finishes and scoring its highest team total of the season, the No. 17 Air Force men's gymnastics team dropped a 198.050-185.800 decision to service academy rival and 12th-ranked Army on Feb. 3, at the Academy. With career-best scores, freshman Garrett Canter won the pommel horse (8.000), while sophomore Jacob Schonig tied for first on the still rings (8.550).

THREE OUTTA FOUR AIN'T BAD: In the Falcons' dual meet with Army, freshman Garrett Canter won the pommel horse, leading the Falcons to three of the top four spots. Canter posted a career-best score of 8.000 to become the only athlete to reach the eight-point plateau on the pommel. Junior Brian Boardman (upped his season-best score by over a point (7.900) to finish second to Canter. Classmate Tyler Sickles garnered a score of 7.400 to finish fourth in the event.

SENIOR SALUTE: Feb. 3 was the final home meet for senior Kurt Antonio. A co-captain of the 2007 squad, Antonio has been a significant contributor to the Air Force program throughout his career.

COMING UP: Air Force returns to the West Coast for the Pacific Coast Classic on Saturday, Feb. 24. The Falcons will travel to Oakland, Calif., for the annual meet that features Air Force and Arizona State, as well as gymnasts from Stanford, Cal, the Mexican National Team and Australia's Gymnastics Victoria High Performance Center.