Air Force Opens Season Hosting 40th Rocky Mountain Open

A new era of Air Force men's gymnastics kicks off this weekend, when the 13th-ranked Falcons host the 40th annual Rocky Mountain Open on Saturday, Jan. 11. Air Force, under the direction of first-year head coach Josh Loeser, will welcome three high-caliber collegiate teams, a club squad from Washington and members of the U.S. Olympic Training Center Team to Cadet West Gym for the 6:00 p.m. (MT) meet.

MEET INFORMATION
The Rocky Mountain Open, which has been held at the Academy for the last 39 years, is scheduled to begin at 6:00 p.m. (MT), inside the Cadet West Gymnasium. Tickets are $10 for adults and $5 for youth, while cadets and participants of the Junior RMO event will receive free admission (Junior RMO athletes must be wearing their club's jacket or uniform). Tickets can be purchased one hour before the start of the meet and fans are encouraged to use cash to help expedite the line. The meet will be streamed live via GoAirForceFalcons.com and a link will be available on the team's schedule page.

LET'S MEET THE OPPONENTS
This is the first meet of the season for all collegiate squads, which includes half of the top six in the preseason poll – No. 2 Oklahoma, No. 5 Nebraska, No. 6 Minnesota – and the 13th-ranked Falcons. Washington's club, ranked 17th in the preseason poll, kicked off their season last weekend with a runner-up finish at the Washington Open. The Sooners, who have claimed 19 of the last 20 RMO titles, and Nebraska, the 2018 winners, are longtime participants of the Falcons' annual opener, while Minnesota is in its second year of attending. The full lineup will also feature two-time Olympian and eight-time NCAA champion Sam Mikulak, former Air Force standout Tim Wang, Robert Neff, Eddie Penev and Adrian de los Angeles of the U.S Olympic Training Center Team.

ROUND AND ROUND WE GO
Air Force will open the meet on the floor exercise and rotate in Olympic order, while the rest of the lineup will begin on the pommel horse (Minnesota), still rings (USOTC), vault (Nebraska), parallel bars (Oklahoma) and high bar (Washington).

FALCONS RANKED 13TH IN PRESEASON POLL
Air Force earned a No. 13 ranking in the annual Preseason Coaches' Poll.

ON THE SIDELINES
Josh Loeser is in his first season as the head coach of the Air Force men's gymnastics team. Loeser, who previously served as an assistant coach for the Falcons during the 2013-17 seasons and spent the past two years as an assistant for the men's resident program at the USOTC, is a four-time USAG Assistant Coach of the Year. He is joined on the sidelines by first-year assistant Sergey Resnick and military assistant Capt Josiah Loeser, who previously served alongside his brother during the 2016-17 seasons.

LEADING THE WAY
Zach Polen will serve as the team captain for the 2020 season.

HOME SWEET HOME
Air Force will compete at the Academy four times in 2020. Following the Rocky Mountain Open on Jan. 11, the Falcons will welcome Penn State (Feb. 1) and Stanford (March 7) to the Cadet West Gym during the regular season, before hosting California, Oklahoma and Stanford in the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation Championships on April 4.

WELCOME TO THE SHOW
Air Force welcomed five freshman to its roster in 2020 with the addition of Ethan Deibert, Troy Jenkins, Edwin Kust, Sam Metzler and Max Perkins.

WHAT'S AHEAD FOR THE FALCONS
Air Force returns to action on Saturday, Jan. 18, when it travels to Berkeley for a dual meet with conference foe California.

Air Force Opens Season Hosting 40th Rocky Mountain Open

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Players Mentioned

Ethan Deibert

Troy Jenkins

Edwin Kust

Sam Metzler

Max Perkins

Zach Polen

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