Ethan Esval, Brian Waschak Earn Victories in Air Force’s Return

USAF ACADEMY, Colo. – Juniors Ethan Esval and Brian Waschak claimed a pair of first-place finishes this evening (Feb. 1), as the No. 17 Air Force men's gymnastics team returned to action – and the Academy – in a triangular meet against seventh-ranked Penn State and the Rocky Mountain Pride.

Esval scored a 13.500 to win the still rings by 0.150 points, while Waschak registered a winning tally of 73.000 in his second all-around of the season. Esval was one of three Falcons to finish within the top half of the rings lineup, as classmates Zach Polen and Allen Shadan finished seventh (12.750) and eighth (12.300), respectively.

In addition to his all-around win, Waschak paced the team on the vault with a third-place score of 13.900 and Esval finished within the top-half of the parallel bars after tying for seventh with sophomore Nathan Reed (12.400).

Air Force claimed half of the top-four finishers on the pommel horse, as junior Frankie Valentin and sophomore Noah Everett finished third (13.100) and fourth (13.000), respectively, while freshman Sam Metzler earned a team-leading top-five nod on the high bar (fifth, 12.000) and sophomore Colin Hickey earned the same placement on the floor exercise with a team-best 13.100. Sophomore Alex Schechtman rounded out the Falcons' list of event leaders, as he scored a 12.600 to finish sixth on the floor exercise.

Valentin and Shadan also finished within the top half of the overall field on the floor exercise (seventh, 12.950) and high bar (seventh, 11.800), while fellow junior Scott McMurray earned the same finish on the pommel horse (12.600) and classmate Brandon Bzoskie tied for that placement on the vault (13.400).

The Nittany Lions won the three-team meet with a team total of 399.600, while the Falcons finished second with a 375.850 and the first-year squad from Pride rounded out the standings with a 277.250.

Air Force heads back out on the road next week for the annual All-Academy Championships. The Falcons will face service academy rivals Army West Point and Navy in San Antonio, Texas, on Saturday, Feb. 8.

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