Air Force Prepares for MPSF Championships
4/3/2008 12:00:00 AM | Men's Gymnastics
April 3, 2008
The No. 15 Air Force men's gymnastics team travels to Lincoln, Neb., for the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation Championships on Saturday, April 5. The Falcons will face off with three of the top four teams in the nation - No. 1 Stanford, No. 2 Oklahoma and No. 4 California - as well as ninth-ranked Nebraska. Action is slated to begin at 2 p.m., at Nebraska's Bob Devaney Center.
Meet Notes 10: at MPSF Championships 
THIS LOOKS FAMILIAR
The Falcons return to the Bob Devaney Center for the second time in three meets ... and the third time this season. Air Force set its third highest team total of the season on March 22, as it competed in a dual meet.
MAKING HISTORY
Senior Greg Stine won his third USAG national title in the all-around, as well as his first title on the parallel bars. During his four-year career at the Academy, Stine has claimed seven USAG national titles and 15 USAG All-America accolades. Both totals are more than any other gymnast in Air Force history.
FALCONS TAKE THIRD AT USAG MEET
Air Force tallied a team total of 335.100 to finish third within the field of five "varsity level" programs during USAG team competition. Air Force won the still rings with a combined score of 57.250. In addition, the squad set a new season-best mark on the pommel horse, tallying a combined mark of 53.600.
STINE NAMED USAG OUTSTANDING SENIOR
Greg Stine became the fourth Academy gymnast to earn the USAG Outstanding Senior Gymnast award. The honor is presented in recognition of athletic ability, scholastic achievement, dedication and devotion to the sport. He joins Jerry Michael Cline (1994), Aaron Jackson (2003) and Kurt Antonio (2007) as Academy gymnasts who have earned this distinction.
SIMONS EARNS COACH OF THE YEAR HONOR
In his third year as the Falcons' head coach, Kip Simons became the first in Academy history to earn the USAG Coach of the Year award. It is his second coaching honor, as he was also named Coach of the Year by the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation in 2006.
FALCON DUO EARN NATIONAL TITLES
One day after winning his third USAG all-around title, Greg Stine picked up his first national honor on the parallel bars with a new program standard (14.900). With a score of 15.550, Jacob Schonig easily won his first USAG title on the still rings. (A complete list of USAG national champions can be found on page 4).
USAG ALL-AMERICAN QUARTET
Four gymnasts earned USAG All-America certificates based on their top-six finishes at the national meet. Greg Stine led the way with five accolades (all-around, floor exercise, still rings, parallel bars and high bar). Fellow champion Jacob Schonig received his second career honor on the still rings, while Tyler Sickles (high bar) and Brennan Wolford (all-around) also received their second such distinctions.
GOING BY RANK
Air Force gymnasts hold two of the top four spots in the nation on the still rings, according to the March 31 rankings. Greg Stine is currently ranked third with a 15.567 three-score average, while Jacob Schonig is ranked a close fourth with a 15.533 average. These two provide the backbone for an eighth-place team score on that event with a 58.050 average. In addition, Stine is ranked fourth in the all-around with an 87.200 average.
SCOUTING THE MPSF STILL RINGS
While Air Force holds two of the top four spots in the nation on the still rings, gymnasts from Oklahoma hold the other two spots. In fact, six of the top seven spots in the country come from the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation
LOOKING BACK AT THE 2007 MPSF MEET
With a score of 189.050, Air Force finished fifth at the league meet on March 31. Air Force shined on the still rings, accounting for a season-best team score of 34.950 and a pair of top-10 individual finishes. Greg Stine and Jacob Schonig posted the best finishes of the night on the still rings. With a score of 9.450, Stine tied for fifth, while Schonig's mark of 9.350 was tied for sixth. In addition, Stine finished fifth in the all-around with a combined score of 51.050.
STINE AND SCHONIG EARN WEEKLY HONORS
Following their impressive weekend, Greg Stine and Jacob Schonig earned a pair of weekly awards. Stine was named the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation Gymnast of the Week for the second time this season, while Schonig claimed the Academy's Male Athlete of the Week award.
CAN'T STOP CANTER
Sophomore Garrett Canter set an Academy record on the pommel horse, as Air Force wrapped up the regular season at Nebraska on March 22. Canter improved his career-best mark by nearly .500, as he scored an Academy-record tally of 13.800. That score is a program standard by .200, breaking the previous mark that was set at their last meet.
SCHONIG WINS AT NEBRASKA
Junior Jacob Schonig won the still rings during the Falcons' season finale at Nebraska on March 22. His winning tally of 15.650 is the second-best mark in Academy history, falling just .050 shy of the program record.
WHAT'S AHEAD FOR THE FALCONS
Air Force has a week off from competition as it prepares for the NCAA Championships. The four-day meet begins on Thursday, Apr. 17, with the National Qualifier. All action will be held in Palo Alto, Calif., on the campus of Stanford University.
Players Mentioned
