Falcons Travel to Nebraska for MPSF Dual Meet
1/28/2011 12:00:00 AM | Men's Gymnastics
Jan. 28, 2011
After opening the season with back-to-back home competitions, the No. 11 Air Force men's gymnastics heads out on the road for a Sunday afternoon contest at 10th-ranked Nebraska. The match between the two Mountain Pacific Sports Federation teams will be held at 2 p.m., at the Bob Devaney Center in Lincoln, Neb. It will be the only MPSF dual of the season for the Falcons and the first dual meet of the year for the Huskers.
SCOUTING THE HUSKERS
Nebraska is ranked just ahead of the Falcons in the national rankings, holding 10th with a total season average of 333.800. Individually, Eric Schryver is ranked among the top-10 on the pommel horse, averaging a score of 14.350. In the Huskers' last competition, Nebraska tallied a 333.100 to finish third at a tri-meet with Illinois (351.500) and Minnesota (344.100).
AIR FORCE DEFEATS ARMY
Six different gymnasts accounted for event titles, as Air Force defeated Army on Jan. 22, by a score of 330.000-307.500, at the Cadet West Gym. Air Force dominated every event, including sweeps of at least the top four spots on the floor exercise, pommel horse and high bar. With the win, the Falcons claimed their sixth straight victory over the Black Knights.
GOING SIX-FOR-SIX
Air Force took the top spot on all six events. Colton Wulf won the floor exercise with a 14.000 debut, while James Okamoto earned the top placement on the pommel horse (13.800) and Devin Menefee finished first on the still rings (14.100). Nash Mills won the vault with a score of 15.400, while Tory Brown and Dan Klimkowski tied for first on the parallel bars (13.400) and Mac Ritchie earned the top score on the high bar (13.700). Mills also claimed the top score in his all-around debut, earning a score of 81.100.
GET OUT THE BROOMS
Air Force claimed the top five spots in two events, while adding the top four spots in an additional event. James Okamato led Patrick Duffy, Nick Owen, Jacob Houder and Tory Brown to the top five spots on the pommel horse, while Mac Ritchie, Nash Mills, Colton Wulf, Derek Kvedar and Brown claimed the top five scores on the high bar. Wulf, Aaron Zasier, Dan Klimkowski and Brown also combined to sweep the top four of the floor exercise.
GOING UP
In just one week, the Falcons improved their overall team score by nearly three points. After scoring a 327.200 at the Rocky Mountain Open to start the season, Air Force combined for a team score of 330.000 against Army.
WHAT'S AHEAD FOR THE FALCONS
Three Falcons will head to Las Vegas, Nev., for the prestigious Winter Cup Challenge on Feb. 3-5. Tory Brown and Nash Mills will be making their second straight appearance at the meet that helps determine the U.S. Men's Senior National Team, while James Okamoto will be making his first appearance.
