Falcons Close Out Regular Season with Two Meets
3/10/2011 12:00:00 AM | Women's Gymnastics
March 10, 2011
The Air Force women's gymnastics team closes out the regular season this weekend with a pair of matches. The Falcons open the weekend on Friday, March 11, in Seattle, Wash., for a triangular meet with 15th-ranked Washington and conference foe Seattle Pacific, before returning to the Academy for a dual meet with No. 18 Denver on Monday, March 14.
Meet Notes 10: at Washington, with Seattle Pacific; vs. Denver 
OLD AND NEW
Air Force and Seattle Pacific have already faced each other twice this season and will see each other once more at the conference championships, while Air Force has only faced Washington once in program history (1998). Air Force holds a 2-0 record this season against SPU, while a 0-1 all-time mark against the Huskies. The Falcons are also familiar with Denver, having faced the Pioneers 87 times, including once earlier this season. DU holds an 83-4 all-time mark against the Falcons.
QUITE THE COMPETITION
With two of the next three opponents ranked among the nation's top 25, Air Force will have faced six nationally ranked teams in 2011.
CONFERENCE ROUNDUP
The Falcons are currently ranked second in the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation, with a regional qualifying score of 190.270. Individually, Brittany Dutton is ranked second in the all-around (38.130), while standing fourth on both the vault (9.660) and uneven bars (9.675) and sixth on the floor exercise (9.690). Samantha Jones is ranked fifth on the vault (9.640) and sixth on the uneven bars (9.635), while Linnaea Hance and Lisa Wong are tied for third on the balance beam (9.625). Hance is also ranked fourth in the all-around (37.685), while Jessica Hanner stands in sixth on the beam (9.555).
WHAT A WEEKEND
Air Force posted two straight wins over Eastern Michigan, to improve its season record with the Eagles to 2-1. After losing the meet in Ypsilanti, the Falcons responded with back-to-back wins by a narrow combined 0.725 margin.
DID YOU KNOW?
Air Force won three straight meets by less than one combined point. Air Force defeated Seattle Pacific 188.475-188.275 on Feb. 25, before taking back-to-back titles over Eastern Michigan 190.200-189.675 (March 2) and 190.950-190.750 (March 5).
WATCH OUT FOR WONG
Lisa Wong scored a pair of back-to-back victories on the balance beam against Eastern Michigan, with matching career-best marks of 9.750. Wong won the title outright on March 2, before tying for first on the apparatus on March 5.
FALCONS COLLECT THIRD STRAIGHT WIN
Backed by first-place finishes from Brittany Dutton, Lisa Wong and Samantha Jones, the Falcons edged Eastern Michigan, 190.950-190.750, on March 5. Dutton won the uneven bars with a score of 9.675 and Jones placed first on the floor with a score of 9.625, while Lisa Wong tied for first on the beam with a career-best matching 9.750.
SWEEP IT UP
The Falcons claimed three of the four event titles against Eastern Michigan on March 5. Brittany Dutton scored a 9.675 to win the event, while Samantha Jones was the runner-up at 9.600. Jen Larsen and Linnaea Hance finished third (9.575) and fourth (9.550), respectively.
DUTTON LEADS FALCONS TO THRILLING WIN
Scoring a career-best 9.825 as the final competitor on the floor exercise, Brittany Dutton led the Falcons to a close 190.200-189.675 victory over Eastern Michigan on March 2. Dutton was one of five Falcons to finish among the top six on the floor. Jen Larsen scored a 9.600 to finish third, while Samantha Jones (9.575), Katie Hawthorne (9.550) and Linnaea Hance (9.425) finished fourth, fifth and sixth, respectively.
MORE NEWS FROM THE MARCH 2 DUAL
Katie Hawthorne scored a 9.725 to win the uneven bars for the second straight week, as Air Force claimed five of the top six spots in that event. Lisa Wong won the balance beam with a personal-high mark of 9.750.
WHAT'S AHEAD FOR THE FALCONS
Air Force remains at the Academy on Saturday, March 19, when it hosts Alaska-Anchorage, Seattle Pacific and UC Davis in the 2011 Mountain Pacific Sports Federation Championships. The four-team championship is schedule to begin at 6 p.m.
Players Mentioned
