Air Force Set for USAG Championships
3/25/2009 12:00:00 AM | Men's Gymnastics
March 25, 2009
The No. 15 Air Force men's gymnastics team begins post-season action this weekend, as it travels to Williamsburg, Va., for the 2009 USA Gymnastics Collegiate Championships. The two-day meet, hosted by the College of William and Mary, will feature the team championships on Friday (March 27) and the individual event finals on Saturday (March 28). Action begins at 5 p.m. (EST) both nights at Kaplan Arena.
Meet Notes 08: at USAG Championships 
HISTORY 101
Since first attending the USAG Championships in 1994, Air Force has claimed 15 national champions, including current senior Jake Schonig, who won the still rings title at the 2008 meet. The Falcons have also tallied 98 USAG All-America accolades. Schonig has claimed a pair of USAG All-America honors on the rings (2007, 2008), while junior Brennan Wolford has received accolades in the all-around (2007, 2008) and floor exercise (2007).
HOME SWEET HOME?!?
Air Force concluded the regular season on March 22 - 50 days after hosting its final home meet of the 2009 season. The Falcons are one of just five teams to host only two home meets, but the only to hold `Senior Night' in January. The next earliest home finale in the NCAA was at Iowa, which hosted its final meet on Feb. 14.
SCHONIG COLLECTS A PAIR OF WINS
Jake Schonig picked up a pair of wins on the still rings, as the Falcons traveled to Chicago. During Friday's triangular meet with Nebraska and UIC, the senior tied for first on the rings and followed that up on Sunday with the outright title in the Falcons' dual meet with Illinois-Chicago.
FINISHING IN THE TOP THREE AT THE TRI-MEET
In addition to Jake Schonig's victory on the still rings, Air Force accounted for a trio of top three finishes at the UIC Triangular on March 20. Freshman Joel Uptmor scored a second-place finish on the vault, while sophomore Aaron Zaiser and freshman Jacob Houder picked up third-place marks on the floor exercise and pommel horse.
MORE FOR UPTMOR
Freshman Joel Uptmor matched his career-high of 14.300 to win the floor exercise at Illinois-Chicago on March 22. He was also the runner-up on the vault with a score of 15.500 (a mark just .100 off of his personal-best).
OTHER HIGH-PLACING FALCONS
Sophomore Aaron Zaiser finished second on the floor exercise against the Flames on March 22 , while classmate Nash Mills garnered a second-place finish in the all-around. Senior Josiah Loeser finished third on the still rings with a career-high score of 14.750.
GOING BY RANK
Air Force's roster boasts a national leader, as Jake Schonig leads the USAG Division on the still rings. The senior holds a three-score average of 15.050, a mark that is tied for seventh in the NCAA national rankings. Schonig has paced the Falcons to the 10th-best team average in the national (57.233).
GETTING OUT ON TOP
The Falcons have accounted for 15 top-10 placements in the March 24 national USAG rankings. Sophomore Nash Mills is ranked in four events, including a fifth-place ranking on the still rings. Freshman Jacob Houder is mentioned on three categories, while sophomore Aaron Zaiser is listed in two categories. As a team, the Falcons lead the USAG Division on the still rings and vault.
WHAT'S AHEAD FOR THE FALCONS
The Falcons will swap ends of the country, traveling to Palo Alto, Calif., on Saturday, April 4, for the 2009 Mountain Pacific Sports Federation Championships. The meet features the top three teams in the country, including No. 1 Oklahoma.
Players Mentioned
