Gymnastics: Cadets shine in Rocky Mountain Open

  • Published
  • By Valerie Perkin
  • U.S. Air Force Academy
U.S. AIR FORCE ACADEMY, Colo. (AFNEWS) --  With freshmen Brennan Wolford and Garrett Canter earning individual honors, the Air Force men's gymnastics team concluded a successful afternoon of competition Jan. 13 here at the event finals of the Rocky Mountain Open.

Wolford, from Thornville, Ohio, posted a career-best 8.200 on the floor exercise to tie for third. Since the Rocky Mountain Open uses the individual's score from the team finals to break ties, Wolford was awarded the decision based on his .350 advantage during last night's competition. Canter, from Tallahassee, Fla., matched his personal-best 7.600 on the pommel horse to take third in that event

Air Force had four competitors in the afternoon's first rotation of the floor exercise, pommel horse and still rings, picking up a top-three finish in each. Sophomore Jacob Schonig of Los Gatos, Calif., tied for third on the still rings with an 8.400, but came up on the short end of the tie-breaker by .150. Junior Brian Boardman of Naperville, Ill., also competed on the floor, tying for sixth with a score of 7.850.

Air Force had a trio of participants on the parallel bars and high bar. Junior Tyler Sickles of Burke, Va., placed fifth on the high bar with an 8.250 performance. Senior Kurt Antonio of Rio Rancho, N.M., and sophomore Josiah Loeser of Alvin, Texas, finished sixth (7.050) and seventh (6.350), respectively, on the high bar.

Overall, Oklahoma claimed five of the six individual event awards. Chris Brooks won the floor exercise with a score of 9.200, while Jacob Messina earned a first-place score of 9.100 on the still rings. Kyle McNamara won the vault and Wes Aderhold took first on the parallel bars with matching scores of 8.650, while Brian Carr rounded out the Sooners' trophy case with a 9.150 on the high bar. Nebraska's T.J. Schmidt claimed top honors on the pommel horse with a score of 8.550.

The Falcons return to action 1 p.m. Jan. 20 in Norman, Okla., where the team will again face Mountain Pacific Sports Federation foes Oklahoma and Nebraska.

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