Men's Gymnastics Adds Nine to 2016 Roster
8/4/2015 12:00:00 AM | Men's Gymnastics
USAF ACADEMY, Colo. -- Air Force men's gymnastics head coach Kip Simons announced the addition of nine gymnasts to his roster for the upcoming 2016 season. The newcomers, who were accepted into the Cadet Wing this morning (Aug. 4) after five weeks of Basic Cadet Training with the Class of 2019, will join a team that has captured the last six USAG national championships.
"This is the largest, most talented, class of athletes I have ever brought into the Academy," Simons said. "They are an outstanding group of young men who we look forward to mentoring both in and out of the gym."
The Falcons' youngest class includes Casey Branin (Irvine, Calif., New Hope Gymnastics), Ryan Girouard (Burlington, Mass., Gymnastics and More), Alex Hess (Ebro, Fla., Gallagher's Gymnastics), Christian Kalustian (Gold River, Calif., Elevate Gymnastics Academy), Eric Klein (West Brookfield, Mass., Daggett's Gym), Troy Mather (Hinsdale, Ill., Aerial Gymnastics), Jacob Stanley (San Antonio, Texas, Alamo Gym Center), Lukas Texeira (Waukesha, Wis., Salto Gymnastics) and Jonah Urlaub (Huntington Beach, Calif., SCATS).
The freshmen join Air Force's program after strong careers at the club level.
Branin, a member of the Region I Elite Team, earned a silver medal in the all-around at the 2015 Junior Olympic Nationals, while Girouard and Stanley finished 12th and 15th, respectively. Texeira was an all-around finalist in 2015, while Mather was a JO finalist on the still rings in 2014. Urlaub placed eighth in the all-around at the 2014 Junior Elite Nationals, while Kalustian (14th) and Klein (15th) claimed top-15 finishes at the 2015 JE meet. Hess was a member of the Florida Elite State Team in 2014.
"We graduated six seniors who are now doing amazing things as second lieutenants in the Air Force, so this group will have an immediate impact on the depth of our team," Simons added. "I look for this freshmen class to contribute in the all-around, but also with some very strong efforts on individual events."
The Academy's freshmen entered the Academy on June 26 for five weeks of Basic Cadet Training, which focuses on military orientation, physical conditioning, field training and confidence. Following today's acceptance parade for the Class of 2019, the cadet wing begins classes on Thursday, Aug. 6.
The 2016 gymnastics season will get underway in January.
Players Mentioned
