Air Force Academy
Oklahoma
Falcons Drop Meet To Defending National Champions
1/23/2004 12:00:00 AM | Men's Gymnastics
Jan. 23, 2004
NORMAN, Okla. - For the second time in as many weeks, the Air Force men's gymnastics team fell to defending national champion, Oklahoma - this time at the Lloyd Noble Center in Norman on Friday, Jan. 23. The Sooners, who have won 42 consecutive meets (including 27 at home), topped the Falcons by a score of 217.650-195.275.
Although the Sooners outscored the Falcons by at least two points in every meet, Air Force did have two gymnasts that placed second in a pair of events. Senior co-captain Jeff Andersen (Marietta, Ga.) scored a 9.475 on the still rings to tie for second with Oklahoma's Kyle Fernandez. Sophomore Greg Stine (Houston, Texas) also earned a runner-up mark on the parallel bars, scoring a 8.550 - just .100 off of the event winner.
The Falcons also scored top-five marks from sophomore Brian Moore (Cypress, Texas), freshman Ryan Stromstad (Corona, Calif.) and junior Kent Reichle (Cambridge, Minn.). The trio tied for fifth on the floor exercise, with matching marks of 8.350.
Andersen also registered a fifth-place finish on the pommel horse, scoring an 8.800. Stine tallied a fifth-place mark of 9.050 on the still rings, while sophomore Eric Peele (Bethel, N.C.) tied for fifth on the parallel bars with an 8.400.
Stine was the only Falcon to compete in the all-around, finishing third with a combined total of 48.700. In addition to his marks on the parallel bars and still rings, Stine registered a 8.900 on the vault and a 8.400 on the high bar, to finish sixth (tie) and seventh, respectively.
Air Force continues on the road next weekend (Jan. 30), when it travels to California. The Falcons will meet MPSF foes, Cal-Berkeley and Stanford, at 7 p.m., in the Haas Pavilion on the campus of Cal-Berkeley.
