Air Force Academy

March 15, 2007

After a four-week absence, the Air Force women's gymnastics team returns to the Academy for the first of two home competitions. The Falcons will host California on Sunday, March 18, at 1 p.m., in the Cadet West Gym. It will be the second time in eight days that the two programs have competed against one another.

Weekly Release 08 - California
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SENIOR SALUTE: Following the conclusion of Sunday's meet, the Air Force women's gymnastics team will recognize its three senior-most gymnasts - Charlotte Freedman, Sashonna Iwaniec and Christine Powers.

YOU LOOK SO FAMILIAR: This will be the second time in eight days that Air Force and Cal have faced one another in competition. The two teams joined Penn last Saturday in Berkeley for a tri-meet that Cal won (194.575). It is the shortest turnaround of the season for Air Force to face the same the team, as Air Force and UC-Davis competed in a pair of home-and-home meets during a 12-day span.

SCOUTING THE FALCONS: Air Force is currently ranked fourth in the four-team Mountain Pacific Sports Federation with a Regional Qualifying Score of 184.875...that mark is ranked ninth in the North Central Region...most recently, the Falcons battled through injuries and illness for a third-place finish in a tri-meet with Cal and Penn...Christine Powers posted the squad's best finish, taking seventh on the balance beam with a score of 9.600.

SCOUTING THE BEARS: Cal is ranked seventh in the seven-team PAC-10 with a Regional Qualifying Score of 192.400...the Bears tallied a season-best 194.575 in their victory over Penn and Air Force in their last meet...a Cal gymnast won every event at the tri-meet, with Isabel Garcia taking top honors on the floor and vault...the Bears will travel to Denver to face the 17th-ranked Pioneers and No. 22 BYU on Friday (March 16) prior to its meet at the Academy.

LAST TIME OUT: With a score of 183.500, the Air Force women's gymnastics team finished third in a tri-meet with Cal and Penn on March 9. The Falcons collected their best finish of the night from senior Christine Powers, who placed seventh on the balance beam with a score of 9.600. Classmate Abigail Rogers and sophomore Abigail Rogers picked up eighth-place finishes to lead the squad on the uneven bars and vault, respectively. Iwaniec tallied a 9.450 on the bars, while Rogers posted a career-best 9.600 on the vault.

HERE, THERE, AND EVERYWHERE: The Falcons wrapped up a four-week excursion that took them back and fourth across the country. Air Force opened its tour Feb. 10 against Ohio State in Columbus, Ohio, before heading to Davis, Calif., for a rematch with UCD on Feb. 16. The Falcons returned to the Midwest on Feb. 25, as they took on Western Michigan in Kalamazoo, Mich., and rounded out the road-swing back on the West Coast with a tri-meet in California on March 9.

`RANK YOU VERY MUCH: With the switch to the rankings being determined by the Regional Qualifying Score, Air Force has just one gymnast ranked among the league's top-four. Sophomore Abigail Rogers is ranked fourth in the all-around with a RQS of 37.040. Rogers is also ranked ninth on the floor (9.545), while senior Christine Powers is ranked seventh (9.430) on the balance beam.

COMING UP: Air Force remains at the Academy to close out the 2007 regular season. The Falcons will host local rival Denver on Monday, March 26, at 7 p.m., in the Cadet West Gym. It will be the Falcons' final meet before the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation Championships, which will be just four days later (March 30) in Seattle, Wash.