Air Force athletics hosts cadet-athlete welcome back
8/4/2019 5:26:00 PM | General
Superintendent Lt. Gen. Jay Silveria and Director of Athletics Nathan Pine were the featured speakers.
Air Force athletics hosts cadet-athlete welcome back
Air Force athletics hosted its annual Cadet-Athlete Welcome Back event in Clune Arena Sunday, Aug. 4. Air Force Academy Superintendent Lt. Gen. Jay Silveria and Director of Athletics Nathan Pine were the featured speakers. The popular event welcomed cadet-athletes back from summer activities, in addition to having motivational messages and setting expectations for 2019-20.
Coaches from all 27 intercollegiate sports, plus boxing and cheer, were introduced, as well as key athletic department and Academy senior staff members. Teams were recognized for their accomplishments on and off the field, in the classroom, in physical education and community service. Student-Athlete Advisory Committee chairperson Pierce Pluemer from hockey and vice chair Kylie Stronko from women's swimming also addressed the athletes about the committee and its roles and responsibilities. Each Air Force team has a representative on the committee.
Air Force athletics had a banner year in 2018-19. The Falcons were the top service academy in the Learfield/IMG College Director's Cup standings for the eighth straight year. Air Force finished 67th nationally with 339.5 points which ties for the second-best showing in school history. The Falcons finished second in the Mountain West behind Boise State to secure a top three finish for the fourth straight year.
The Academy celebrated a national championship with men's and women's rifle team winning the air rifle discipline at the NCAA championships. The championship is the first since Dana Pounds (Lyon) won back-to-back NCAA titles in the javelin in 2005 and 2006. The rifle team took third overall at the NCAAs.
Air Force won five conference championships with men's soccer winning the Western Athletic Conference title, rifle the Patriot Rifle Conference, women's gymnastics the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation, women's tennis the MW Mountain Division and lacrosse celebrating a regular season co-championship in the Southern Conference. The gymnastics championship is the first for any Air Force women's team at the Division I level. The tennis title is the first by an AF women's team in Mountain West play.
Seven cadet-athletes took home player of the year honors, including senior Tucker Bone as the WAC offensive player of the year and senior teammate Andrea Seazzu as the WAC defensive player of the year. Junior Michael Rhoads earned a pair of Mountain West Track and Field Student-Athlete of the Year awards for both indoor and outdoor while senior Brandon Jones won the SoCon defensive player of the year honor. Ice hockey seniors Matt Koch and Matt Serratore each earned Atlantic Hockey Student-Athlete of the Year honors.
Air Force had 34 individuals earn All-America honors 49 times. Eight of those athletes were Academic All-Americans. Senior Jaci Smith became the first female track and field athlete to earn All-America honors in cross country, indoor and outdoor track during her career. She closed her career with five All-American honors combined. Tucker Bone became the men's soccer program's first two-time first-team All-American.
Air Force finished last season with a 12-8-4 overall record vs. Army and Navy in head-to-head competition. Air Force was 7-4-3 vs. Army and 5-4-1 vs. Navy. The Falcons are 53-40-6 overall against Army and Navy the last four years, including a 29-21-4 mark vs. Army and a 24-19-2 slate vs. Navy.
Air Force athletics play a vital role in officer development of all 4,000-plus cadets. In addition to intercollegiate athletics, physical education, intramurals and physical fitness testing is administered by the athletic department. The department developed AFI 36-2620 to establish the Air Force Combatives Program with USAFA/AD as the Center of Excellence (COE). The COE develops the common curriculum and instructor certification for combative training to 50,000 Airmen annually. The department also continues to support the NCAA/DOD Concussion study and AF Physical Therapy fellowship impacting active duty units across the Air Force. In addition, cadet physical fitness (PFT) scores have continued to improve over the last six years since the Cadet Fitness Center opened.
Air Force athletics hosted its annual Cadet-Athlete Welcome Back event in Clune Arena Sunday, Aug. 4. Air Force Academy Superintendent Lt. Gen. Jay Silveria and Director of Athletics Nathan Pine were the featured speakers. The popular event welcomed cadet-athletes back from summer activities, in addition to having motivational messages and setting expectations for 2019-20.
Coaches from all 27 intercollegiate sports, plus boxing and cheer, were introduced, as well as key athletic department and Academy senior staff members. Teams were recognized for their accomplishments on and off the field, in the classroom, in physical education and community service. Student-Athlete Advisory Committee chairperson Pierce Pluemer from hockey and vice chair Kylie Stronko from women's swimming also addressed the athletes about the committee and its roles and responsibilities. Each Air Force team has a representative on the committee.
Air Force athletics had a banner year in 2018-19. The Falcons were the top service academy in the Learfield/IMG College Director's Cup standings for the eighth straight year. Air Force finished 67th nationally with 339.5 points which ties for the second-best showing in school history. The Falcons finished second in the Mountain West behind Boise State to secure a top three finish for the fourth straight year.
The Academy celebrated a national championship with men's and women's rifle team winning the air rifle discipline at the NCAA championships. The championship is the first since Dana Pounds (Lyon) won back-to-back NCAA titles in the javelin in 2005 and 2006. The rifle team took third overall at the NCAAs.
Air Force won five conference championships with men's soccer winning the Western Athletic Conference title, rifle the Patriot Rifle Conference, women's gymnastics the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation, women's tennis the MW Mountain Division and lacrosse celebrating a regular season co-championship in the Southern Conference. The gymnastics championship is the first for any Air Force women's team at the Division I level. The tennis title is the first by an AF women's team in Mountain West play.
Seven cadet-athletes took home player of the year honors, including senior Tucker Bone as the WAC offensive player of the year and senior teammate Andrea Seazzu as the WAC defensive player of the year. Junior Michael Rhoads earned a pair of Mountain West Track and Field Student-Athlete of the Year awards for both indoor and outdoor while senior Brandon Jones won the SoCon defensive player of the year honor. Ice hockey seniors Matt Koch and Matt Serratore each earned Atlantic Hockey Student-Athlete of the Year honors.
Air Force had 34 individuals earn All-America honors 49 times. Eight of those athletes were Academic All-Americans. Senior Jaci Smith became the first female track and field athlete to earn All-America honors in cross country, indoor and outdoor track during her career. She closed her career with five All-American honors combined. Tucker Bone became the men's soccer program's first two-time first-team All-American.
Air Force finished last season with a 12-8-4 overall record vs. Army and Navy in head-to-head competition. Air Force was 7-4-3 vs. Army and 5-4-1 vs. Navy. The Falcons are 53-40-6 overall against Army and Navy the last four years, including a 29-21-4 mark vs. Army and a 24-19-2 slate vs. Navy.
Air Force athletics play a vital role in officer development of all 4,000-plus cadets. In addition to intercollegiate athletics, physical education, intramurals and physical fitness testing is administered by the athletic department. The department developed AFI 36-2620 to establish the Air Force Combatives Program with USAFA/AD as the Center of Excellence (COE). The COE develops the common curriculum and instructor certification for combative training to 50,000 Airmen annually. The department also continues to support the NCAA/DOD Concussion study and AF Physical Therapy fellowship impacting active duty units across the Air Force. In addition, cadet physical fitness (PFT) scores have continued to improve over the last six years since the Cadet Fitness Center opened.
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