Air Force Pair Advance at NCAA Championships

MINNEAPOLIS, Minn. – Backed by strong performances in this afternoon's national qualifying session, two members of the 13th-ranked Air Force men's gymnastics team advanced into the finals of the NCAA Men's Gymnastics Championships, which are taking place this weekend in Minneapolis.

As one of the top-three finishers in the all-around, senior Frankie Valentin advanced to the NCAA finals for the second time in as many championship meets. The senior tallied a 79.100 – the second-highest total of his career – to finish third in the six-event competition and earn an automatic berth into tomorrow's final rotation. Valentin's best finish of the day came on the still rings, as he scored a 13.666 to tie for fifth. He also placed amongst the top half of the field on the pommel horse (15th, 12.866), while finishing 19th on the high bar (12.766), 21st on the parallel bars (12.533), 21st on the floor exercise (13.566) and 29th on the vault (13.733).

Freshman Garrett Braunton advanced to the finals on the high bar, after scoring a 13.366 to finish second amongst competitors not on an advancing team or as an advancing all-arounder – and ninth overall. The high bar was one of six events for Braunton, who placed seventh in the all-around with a score of 74.031. Contributing to his total was a 15th-place finish on the vault (14.200), as well as a 12.633 on the still rings (28th), a 12.066 on the pommel horse (25th), an 11.800 on the floor exercise (35th) and a 9.966 on the parallel bars (33rd).

Six other Falcons also competed in the National Qualifier at Maturi Pavilion today.

Senior Allen Shadan competed in three events during the qualifier, finishing 28th on the parallel bars (11.966) and 32nd on both the still rings (12.266) and high bar (11.733). Classmate Brandon Bzoskie earned the same placement on the vault (13.633), while classmate Scott McMurray capped his collegiate career with a 24th-place finish on the pommel horse (12.233). Junior Noah Everett added a 28th-place score of 11.600 on that event, while sophomore Sam Metzler and junior Collin Hickey finished 30th (13.033) and 32nd (12.833), respectively, on the floor exercise.

Valentin and Braunton return to Maturi Pavilion tomorrow (April 17) for the finals of the NCAA Men's Gymnastics Championships. The meet, which will decide the team, all-around and event champions, is slated to begin at 7:00 p.m. (CT) and will be broadcast live on the Big Ten Network.

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Players Mentioned

Garrett Braunton

Brandon Bzoskie

Noah Everett

Collin Hickey

Scott McMurray

Sam Metzler

Allen Shadan

Frankie Valentin

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