
Women's Gymnastics Takes on No. 12 Auburn for Hometown Heroes Night
3/14/2019 2:34:00 PM | Women's Gymnastics
Air Force women's gymnastics and the 12th-ranked Auburn Tigers will meet in dual action, Friday evening at 7 p.m. CT
FRIDAY, MARCH 15
The Falcons travel to Auburn, Alabama to take on the 12th-ranked Tigers in dual meet action, 7 p.m. CT on Friday, March 15, in Auburn Arena for Hometown Heroes Night. It will be the only meet of the week.
UP NEXT
The Falcons head to Seattle, Washington, to compete at the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation Championships with UC Davis, Sacramento State, Alaska-Anchorage and San Jose State at Seattle Pacific University. Action is slated to start at 6 p.m. PT/ 7 MT, on Saturday, March 23, at Broughham Pavilion on the campus of Seattle Pacific University.
SALAMONE AND STAPLETON WIN MPSF WEEKLY AWARDS
Air Force junior Anna Salamone and freshman Cameo Stapleton have been announced as the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation's Specialist and Freshman of the Week, respectively, for competition be-tween March 5-12, announced by the conference office Tuesday.
Stapleton (Norman, OK) recorded a career-high 9.80 on the floor in last Friday's triangular at UC Davis, with Seattle Pacific (Mar. 8). Her mark was good for a third-place tie, helping the Academy break 194 overall and take second-place in the meet. Stapleton has set a career-high on floor in three-straight meets. This is the second career MPSF weekly honor for Stapleton, including a repeat from last week.
Salamone (Bayport, NY) had first-place finishes in two events, pacing the Academy to a second-place finish at UC Davis' with Seattle Pacific (Mar. 8). Salamone posted a meet-high 9.850 on the vault, set-ting a personal season-high and tying her career-best mark, while helping the team to a meet-best 48.875 total in the event. Salamone continued to lead the Air Force charge in the final event where she posted a meet-high 9.900 on the uneven bars. She recorded her fourth first-place finish on the bars this season as she helped the team to another meet-best 48.775 event total. This is the seventh career MPSF weekly award for Salamone.
LAST WEEK
Anna Salamone led the Falcons with first-place finishes in two events, pacing Air Force to a second-place finish at UC Davis' triangular meet with Seattle Pacific, Friday evening in Davis, California. The Falcons finished with a 194.100 team score while UC Davis finished first with a 195.400 mark and Seattle Pacific finished third with a team score of 192.475
Air Force opened the meet on the floor exercise where freshman Cameo Stapleton continued to excel in the event, posting a team-high 9.800 mark for a third-place tie, surpassing her previous personal-best that she set last week (9.800). Stapleton, who won Mountain Pacific Sports Federation Freshman of the Week on Tuesday, has posted a new career-high on the floor exercise for three-straight meets.
Sophomore teammate Heidi Sand also posted a career-best mark, scoring 9.775 in the event and finishing in a three-way tie for fifth place. Rita Koenigbauer, who was sidelined for the first half of the season, set a new career-high in the floor exercise, posting a 9.725. The Falcons' team score in the event was 48.650, enough to finish ahead of Seattle Pacific.
Air Force headed to the balance beam for their second event of the meet where Riley Hill led the Falcons with a 9.675 mark and an eighth-place finish. Teammates Mariana Murphy and Tyler Davis finished right behind her at ninth-place and 10th with 9.650 and 9.625 marks, respectively. Air Force's 47.800 team score placed them in third in the event at the final tally.
The Falcons got back to their winning ways in the vault as Salamone posted a meet-high 9.850, setting a personal season-high score while tying her career-best mark. Brooke Bruder, who opened up the vault for Air Force, posted a 9.800 to tie her season-best mark while teammate Jessica Kirkpatrick followed suit, posting a 9.800 to tie her personal season-best score. Bruder and Kirkpatrick finished tied for third, propelling Air Force to a 48.875 team score in the event for the highest team mark in the event.
Salamone continued to lead the Air Force charge into the final event where she posted a meet-high 9.900. Salamone, who holds the Academy record on the uneven bars (9.950), recorded her fourth first-place finish on the bars this season. Murphy, who has also had consistent success on the bars this season, posted a 9.800 to tie for second in the event. Senior teammate Analise Howard got in on the action as well, setting a personal season-high on the uneven bars with a 9.750, tying for a fourth-place finish. Kirkpatrick finished right behind Howard with a 9.725 and a sixth-place finish.
Air Force did not have a gymnast competing in the all-around field.