Falcons Finish Third at Penn State Triangular

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. – The 13th-ranked Air Force men's gymnastics returned to action this afternoon (Feb. 23), as they finished third against a pair of top-seven squads. In the first "five-up, five-count" meet of the season, the Falcons combined for a team score of 392.650 to finish behind sixth-ranked Penn State (410.300) and seventh-ranked Navy (393.950).

Sophomore Frankie Valentin and senior Christian Kalustian picked up the Falcons' best placement of the day at Recreation Hall in University Pa., as the pair posted matching marks of 13.750 to finish in a four-way tie for second on the floor exercise. Valentin also posted the squad's top finish on the pommel horse (seventh, 13.100), while placing within the top half of the 15-gymnast field on the still rings (13.600).

Jonah Urlaub, who joined Kalustian and Valentin among the top half of the field on floor exercise (seventh, 13.550), was the Falcons' top finisher in a pair of events and added an additional top-five mark on the parallel bars (fifth, 13.300). The senior scored a 14.200 to finish in a three-way tie for third on the vault and added a 13.950 to take fifth on the still rings.

Sophomore Ethan Esval posted the Falcons' top finish on the parallel bars (14.000) and added a top-five mark on the still rings (fifth, 13.700), while classmate Allan Shadan earned a seventh-place score of 13.050 on the parallel bars and senior Lukas Texeira was the team's top scorer on the high bar (sixth, 13.250).

The Falcons return to the Academy next Saturday (March 2), when they host Army West Point at noon.

Footer

The appearance of hyperlinks does not constitute endorsement by the u.s air force of non-u.s. government sites or the information, products, or services contained therein. Although the u.s. air force may or may not use these sites as additional distribution channels for department of defense information, it does not exercise editorial control over all of the information that you may find at these locations. Such links are provided consistent with the stated purpose of this website.