Chase Cannon Wins High Bar Title at Rocky Mountain Open

Jan. 14, 2017

USAF ACADEMY, Colo. -- Highlighted by a first-place finish on the high bar from senior Chase Cannon, the 11th-ranked Air Force men's gymnastics team opened the 2017 season with a strong showing at its annual Rocky Mountain Open on Saturday, Jan. 14. Cannon was one of three Falcons to earn a trip to the awards podium on the night, while Air Force combined for a season-opening score of 407.350.

Posting a winning score of 14.450 on his signature event to better the field by 0.150 points, Cannon became the first Air Force gymnast in six years to claim an RMO title -- and just the fourth since 2001.

Classmate Tim Wang collected four podium finishes on the night, including runner-up marks on the pommel horse (14.850), still rings (15.200) and all-around (85.550). Wang, who added a third-place score of 14.700 on the vault, also accounted for top-10 placements on the parallel bars (fifth, 14.050) and high bar (seventh, 13.650).

Junior Jonathon Fornoff also earned a top-three finish during the Falcons' season-opening meet, as he garnered a score of 14.700 to place third on the parallel bars.

Sophomore Casey Branin rounded out the Falcons' list of event leaders, as he scored a 14.200 to take fourth on the floor exercise. Overall, Branin accounted for three top-10 finishes, as he placed eighth on the pommel horse (13.600) and 10th on the parallel bars (13.500). Senior Aaron Nubine also posted multiple top-10 finishes, placing sixth on the vault (14.050) and eighth on the still rings (14.350).

Wang and Branin helped Air Force claim four of the top-10 scores on the pommel horse, as junior Fletcher Braunton finished fourth (14.300) and classmate Michael Graft took ninth (13.400). Sophomore Ryan Girouard also earned a top-10 finish, as he scored a 13.200 to take 10th on the floor exercise.

Using the new scoring system that went into effect for the 2017 season, the Falcons registered a score of 407.350 to finish second in the team standings. Defending national champion and top-ranked Oklahoma won the meet with a score of 433.200, while programs from OU and SC United finished third (375.850) and fourth (347.250), respectively.

Air Force heads out on the road next weekend, when it travels to Minneapolis, Minn., to face the fourth-ranked Gophers on Saturday, Jan. 21.

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