Air Force athletics recognizes Top 6 Award winners, MVPs
5/24/2021 3:30:00 PM | General
Norris, Ferguson, Fitzpatrick earn MVPs, scholar-athlete award
U.S. Air Force Academy, Colo. – Air Force athletics recognized several cadet-athletes for their accomplishments during the 2020-21 season today during the Cadet Awards Ceremony in Clune Arena. Seniors Mahala Norris from track and field and football offensive lineman Parker Ferguson earned female and male athletes of the year, respectively. Senior women's gymnast Jessica Kirkpatrick earned the scholar-athlete award while senior women's swimmer Kylie Stronko won the leadership award. Senior track and field star Maria Mettler earned the athletic excellence award while senior football offensive lineman Nolan Laufenberg earned the athletic achievement award.
Norris is in the midst of a historic senior year that spans both cross country and track. The unparalleled success of 2021 began in early March, when she became the first Academy female to win a Mountain West title in cross country. She posted the fourth-fastest championship 6K in Mountain West history (19:57.7), kicking off a 10-day span that saw Norris collect All-America honors at the NCAA Indoor Track and Field Championships and NCAA Cross Country Championships – with those two races taking place in two different states and just three days apart. Norris registered the third-fastest indoor 5000-meter time in Academy history (15:51.73) to finish fourth and garner first-team All-America status on the track, before earning the same placement with a 6K time of 20:11.8 on the cross country course. Her success continues in the outdoor season, as she tallied Championship Meet Record times to win both the 3000-meter steeplechase (Academy Record 9:44.10 – just the second steeplechase of her career) and 5000-meter run (15:39.13 – the second-fastest time in Academy history, first race of the season at that distance) at the Mountain West Outdoor Championships.
Ferguson earned first-team all-Mountain West honors and was on the Outland Trophy Watch List in 2020. He earned the selection to play in the Hula Bowl All-Star game, the first offensive lineman selected for the game since 2005. Ferguson helped anchor the offensive line that led Air Force to the national rushing title for just the second time in program history with a 305.7 per-game average. Ferguson agreed to terms on free agent contract with the National Football League's New York Jets, pending approval from the Secretary of Defense.
Kirkpatrick is a four-year letter winner in gymnastics. She is a member of the Superintendent's List at the Academy for outstanding performance in academics, athletics and military performance. In addition, she
earned the Air Force Academy Character and Ethics Scholarship, a full-tuition scholarship to Carnegie Mellon and the Fullbright Scholarship to study in Taiwan. A first-team USA Gymnastics All-American as a freshman, Kirkpatrick posted career-best marks on the vault (9.800) and uneven parallel bars (9.850). She is a two-time MPSF All-Academic award winner and a two-time USA Gymnastics Academic All-American.
In her time at the Academy, senior Kylie Stronko was a three-time all-conference swimmer, a three-time Academic All-MW honoree, and was the winner of the 2021 MW Senior Recognition Award. The 2021 team captain is also the program record holder in both the 100 (54.43) and 200 backstroke (1:57.40). Stronko, who served as chairman of the Academy's Student Athletes Advisory Committee (SAAC), also earned a prestigious NCAA Postgraduate Scholarship. Following graduation later this month, Stronko will head to Georgetown University to pursue a Master of Arts degree in Latin American Studies.
Although Maria Mettler's senior season has been drastically shortened by injury, she still broke the Academy record and qualified to the NCAA Championships in the 10,000-meter run. Mettler crushed the program standard, qualified for the Olympic Trials and recorded the fastest collegiate debut in history during a winning performance at The Sound Running Track Meet in early December (32:09.37), before being sidelined until mid-May. In her return to competition at the conference meet, Mettler placed fifth with a time that served as a qualifying mark to the upcoming NCAA Championships.
Laufenberg earned first-team all-Mountain West honors for the second straight year and was on the Outland Trophy Watch List in 2020. Laufenberg earned preseason All-American honors by the Walter Camp Football Foundation, USA Today and the Associated Press, as well as being recognized and one of five All-American offensive lineman by Pro Football Focus. Laufenberg helped anchor the offensive line that led Air Force to the national rushing title for just the second time in program history with a 305.7 per-game average. He agreed to terms on a free agent contract with the NFL's Denver Broncos, pending approval from the Secretary of Defense.
In addition to the top six awards, the department honored most valuable athletes from each sport, plus a pair of physical education award winners.
2020-21 Team Most Valuable Players
Women's Cross Country
Senior Mahala Norris finished fourth at the NCAA Championship in mid-March, earning her second All-America award in cross country and recording the highest finish ever by a member of the women's team at the NCAA Division I level – and the Falcons' best individual finish since 1995. The senior, who claimed that finish just three days after earning the same placement in the 5000-meter run at the NCAA Indoor Championships, also accounted for first-place finishes at the Silver State Collegiate Challenge and Mountain West Championships – with the latter race providing the first individual MW title for a member of the Air Force women's cross country team. Norris earned Athlete of the Year honors from the Mountain West and USTFCCCA Mountain Region.
Men's Cross Country
Scott Johnson helped Air Force to a Mountain West championship, a top 20 national ranking and an appearance at the NCAA Cross Country Championships. The senior finished seventh at the conference meet, earning first-team all-MW accolades and helping the men to their third Mountain West title. At the national meet, Johnson – the only member of the Falcons' 2020 lineup to have previously competed at the NCAA Championships – finished within the top half of the 251-runner field (103rd).
Most Valuable Football Player
Senior offensive lineman Nolan Laufenberg earned first-team all-Mountain West honors and was on the Outland Trophy Watch List in 2020. Laufenberg earned preseason All-American honors by the Walter Camp Football Foundation, USA Today and the Associated Press, as well as being recognized and one of five All-American offensive lineman by Pro Football Focus. Laufenberg helped anchor the offensive line that led Air Force to the national rushing title for just the second time in program history with a 305.7 per-game average.
Most Valuable Football Offensive Player
Senior offensive lineman Parker Ferguson earned first-team all-Mountain West honors and was on the Outland Trophy Watch List in 2020. He earned the selection to play in the Hula Bowl All-Star game, the first offensive lineman selected for the game since 2005. Ferguson helped anchor the offensive line that led Air Force to the national rushing title for just the second time in program history with a 305.7 per-game average.
Most Valuable Football Defensive Player
Senior defensive back Elisha Palm started all six games in 2020 and led the team in tackles with 38, including 27 unassisted. He also had 1.5 tackles for loss, which ranked third on the team. Palm ranked eighth in the Mountain West in passes defended with a team-high three. He recorded a career-high nine tackles and 1.5 tackles for loss and his first-career interception at San Jose State.
Most Valuable Football Lineman/Special Teams
Senior defensive lineman George Silvanic was an honorable mention all-Mountain West selection after leading the Falcons in tackles for loss (4.5) and quarterback sacks (2.5). He was second on the team in tackles with 34. He recorded a career-high 11 tackles and a tackle for loss at Army. Silvanic moved from offensive to defensive line two weeks prior to the season opener vs. Navy.
Golf
Senior Kyle Spencer was team captain and led the Falcons with a 75.44 season stroke average. He had a team-high five rounds at par or better in a season that was shortened to just 18 rounds due to the pandemic. Spencer saved his best for last, shooting a season best 218 (+2) at the Mountain West Championships. In the final round, he matched his career-best round of 69.
Women's Soccer
Sophomore Kayla Milford started all eight games on defense, totaling second-most minutes (695). She played in every minute in six of eight matches, including playing all 90 minutes on defense in the 1-0 win over Wyoming.
Men's Soccer
Sophomore defender London Aghedo, a linchpin defender, started in all 13 matches this season. He recorded 1,129 minutes, the most by any player on the squad with the exception of the goalkeeper. Aghedo concluded the season with two goals and an assist, which was the most by any Falcon defender. Aghedo earned first-team all-WAC honors and was a member of the WAC all-tournament team.
Volleyball
All-conference selection Bailey Keith led the team in kills (130), kills per set (2.45) and points (150.5) as a junior, while averaging .224 hitting on 352 swings. She also accounted for 1.17 digs and 0.51 blocks per set – defensive stats that helped Air Force hold its opponents to a league-low .151 average. Keith, who earned a double-double against Utah State (team-high 13 kills, career-best 17 digs) and helped Air Force to streak-ending victories over Colorado State and San Jose State, paced the team in kills during six of 13 conference contests, including four of the final six.
Water Polo
Sophomore Grant Snyder earned second-team All-America honors from the Association of Collegiate Water Polo Coaches (ACWPC). His second-team honor is the highest in program history. Snyder, from Springville, Calif., ranked third in the nation in points (50), sixth in goals (33), sixth in assists (17) and seventh in steals (19). He also led the nation in sprint victories with 32. An all-WWPA selection, he posted at least one point in all 11 games and scored a goal in 10 of the 11.
Women's Basketball
Junior forward Riley Snyder was the team's leading scoring and earned an all-Mountain West honorable mention honors. She finished fifth in the league in points per game while posting eight 20-point games, four of which happened in the last six games. Snyder crested the 1,000 point mark in career scoring, becoming the 18th player in program history to achieve the feat. She enters her senior year with 1,124 career points.
Men's Basketball
Senior team co-captain Chris Joyce ranked second on the team in scoring, averaging 10.4 points per game. Joyce averaged 32 minutes per game for the Falcons, which ranked 10th in the Mountain West. Joyce Also ranked second on the team with 33 three's. He was one of three players to start all 25 games for Air Force.
Boxing
In his only appearance of the year, junior Zach Phillips earned the 145-pound title at the Cincinnati Fitness and Boxing Spring Showdown in late March, after claiming a decision over Jacob Maslyk from CFB.
Women's Fencing
Junior Erin Shea posted a 13-8 record in women's saber. Her .619 bout win percentage led the team. This season marked her first-career team MVP honor.
Men's Fencing
Sophomore Matthew Han posted a 25-24 overall record, ranking third on the team in bout victories. Han earned second-team All-America honors with his seventh place finish in men's epee at the 2021 NCAA Fencing Championships. It was Han's second All-America honor.
Women's Gymnastics
Junior Daija Stevenson was tabbed the team's MVP. Stevenson competed in every event in every meet of the season with the exception of the season opener. She posted three career-best scores on the season and won first-place on seven occasions. Her 9.900 on the floor exercise is a career-high mark and ties for the highest score by any Falcon on the season. She earned USAG All-America honors in the all-around, floor exercise and vault, marking her sixth-career USAG All-America accolade.
Men's Gymnastics
Frankie Valentin had a remarkable senior year for the Falcons, advancing to the NCAA Championships in the all-around and qualifying to the U.S. Championships. Valentin, who became just the seventh Falcon to earn MPSF All-Academic Scholar-Athlete honors in every year of eligibility, led the team on the still rings and all-around in 2021. Following an 80.300 performance in the win over William & Mary, he became just the second Air Force gymnast to break the 80-point tally in the all-around.
Ice Hockey
Sophomore Willie Reim was the team's leading scorer with 12 points on six goals and six assists in 14 games. He led the team with two game-winners, netting both of them in overtime as the Falcons defeated Bentley on Feb. 1 and Canisius on Feb. 19. The winger from North Oaks, Minn., had a career best two goals in that win over Canisius and had two points in a game three times this past season. He scored a point in his final six games, the longest streak of his career and the longest by a Falcon this season.
Men's and Women's Rifle
Junior Peter Fiori finished the year as a College Rifle Coaches Association second-team All-American in both the smallbore and air rifle. He also earned third-team honors for aggregate scoring. Fiori earned conference honors for both guns following the Patriot Rifle Conference Championships. This is Fiori's third most valuable marksman award of his career.
Women's Swimming
Sophomore Sefilina Maile earned All-Conference recognition in the 50 free (7th), 100 free (2nd), and 200 free (6th). She is the first AF swimmer to earn All-MW in three events since 2017. In addition, her prelim time in the 50 free (23.16) and 200 free (1:50.01) were the third and sixth-best times in Academy history, respectively, while her 100 time (50.12) earlier in the season was the second-quickest in Academy history.
Men's Swimming
Junior Isaac Gwin was named the WAC Swimmer of the Year after winning three individual events, was a part of a winning relay, and set two school records at the 2021 WAC Championships. He qualified for the NCAA Championships and finished 18th in the 100 back with a school record time of 46.07.
Men's/Women's Diving
Senior Cole Armagost had the top dive in each of the three events for AF in 2020-21, and qualified for NCAA Zone E competition in each dive. He placed in the top-three at the WAC Championships in each dive as well, taking silver in the 1-meter and platform, and bronze in the 3-meter.
Wrestling
Freshman Wyatt Hendrickson went 16-5 overall with three major decisions, a tech fall, and seven pins. Both wins and pins were the most on the team. He placed third at the Big 12 Championships, and went on to win three matches at the NCAA Championships, finishing one win shy of becoming an All-American. He was the first AF freshman wrestler to qualify for NCAAs since 2013.
Baseball
Freshman Paul Skenes is poised to earn Mountain West Freshman of the Year honors, as well as All-American status in his first season as a Falcon. The Lake Forest, Calif., native leads the team in almost every major offensive category, ranks in the top-10 in 10 offensive categories in the MW, and nationally, ranks in the top-100 in seven categories. In addition, he serves as the team closer on the mound, and ranks seventh in the nation with 10 saves, which is an Academy freshman record. He is the only player in D1 baseball to have double-digit home runs (10) and saves (10). He has started in every game for the Falcons, and has a hit in all but eight games.
Lacrosse
Senior midfielder Matthew O'Rourk was a four-year letter winner and concluded the season with 21 points via 11 goals and 10 assists, highlighted by a hat trick performance against #2/1 Duke. He concluded his career at Air Force as the Falcons' active leader in career assists (28).
Women's Tennis
Senior and team captain Meredith Jones posted eight wins for the Falcons, playing all 16 singles matches at No. 1. The senior had 16 combined wins on the season, also playing primarily at No. 1 doubles as well. Jones graduates with 133 career combined wins. Her 73 career doubles wins ranks 10th all-time at Air Force.
Men's Tennis
Senior and team captain Paul Hendrix is Air Force men's tennis MVP. Hendrix captured the team MVP honor for the second time in his career. The senior posted six wins at No. 1 singles and 10 wins at No. 1 doubles. He earned All-Mountain West singles and doubles for the second time in this career. He is the first multiple all-conference honoree for the program since 2012-13.
Women's Track and Field
(AS OF MAY 19): Mahala Norris is in the midst of a historic senior season that spans both track and cross country. Norris garnered first-team All-America honors during the indoor season after clocking the third-fastest indoor 5000-meter time in Academy history (15:51.73) to finish fourth in the national final. That finish, which came just one week after winning the MW Cross Country title and three days before taking fourth at the NCAA Cross Country Championships, was the best NCAA Indoor placement in a running event since 2010. Her success continues in the outdoor season, as Norris tallied Championship Meet Record times to win both the 3000-meter steeplechase (Academy Record 9:44.10 – just the second steeplechase of her career) and 5000-meter run (15:39.13 – the second-fastest time in Academy history, first race of the season at that distance) at the Mountain West Outdoor Championships.
Women's Track and Field Outstanding Competitor
(AS OF MAY 19): Although Maria Mettler's senior season has been drastically shortened by injury, she still broke the Academy Record and qualified to the NCAA Championships in the 10,000-meter run. Mettler crushed the program standard – and qualified for the Olympic Trials – during a winning performance at The Sound Running Track Meet in early December (32:09.37), before being sidelined until mid-May. In her return to competition at the conference meet, Mettler placed fifth with a time that served as a qualifying mark to the upcoming NCAA Championships.
Men's Track and Field
(AS OF MAY 19): Senior pole vaulter Greg Skage had a strong senior season, earning All-America honors during the indoor season and successfully defending his Mountain West title during the outdoor season. Skage, who cleared a career-best 17'9¾" on two separate occasions to post the eighth-best indoor clearance in Academy history, earned second-team All-America honors after a 12th-place finish at the national meet. Prior to winning the MW Outdoor title and leading the Falcons to a 1-2-3 finish, Skage equaled his career-best outdoor clearance of 17'6½" at the Twilight Open to stand at 11th on the program's all-time outdoor standings and finish the regular season ranked within the nation's Top 30.
Men's Track and Field Outstanding Competitor
(AS OF MAY 19): Sam Gilman is in the midst of a stellar sophomore campaign, rewriting Academy history in the 1500-meter run. During his first outdoor season, Gilman deleted nearly a second from the Academy Record after clocking a time of 3:40.39 at the Drake Relays. He also clocked a Meet Record time of 3:40.44 to win the Mountain West, finished first in two additional races (Stanford Invitational, West Coast Relays), claimed back-to-back MW Athlete of the Week honors and qualified to the NCAA Championships in his signature event. Gilman also accounted for the second-fastest 5000-meter run in program history (13:48.35) during the indoor season.
Physical Education Average Award (The Bickle Award is presented to the graduating cadet who has attained the highest Cumulative Physical Education Average (PEA) in their class)
Spencer Rohlwing was the irrefutable winner of the class of 2021 Bickle award. He earned the athletic equivalent of the "ACE" award for perfect 4.0 semesters three times and etched his name in the prestigious 500-club wall for maxing the cadet physical fitness test (PFT) six times. Rohlwing ended his distinguished academy athletic career with an unmatched PEA of 3.94.
Outstanding Cadet in Physical Education (The Crowell Award is presented to the graduating cadet who has attained the highest GPA from Physical Education (PE) Courses)
Mark Watson received the highest Physical Education GPA in the Class of '2021, with a 3.925 average earned in the required PE Course of Instruction. Watson earned no lower than A- throughout the entire core and elective PE sequence, while also maintaining an exemplary 3.96 cumulative academic GPA and 3.36 cumulative PEA, and participating in the university exchange program one semester.
Norris is in the midst of a historic senior year that spans both cross country and track. The unparalleled success of 2021 began in early March, when she became the first Academy female to win a Mountain West title in cross country. She posted the fourth-fastest championship 6K in Mountain West history (19:57.7), kicking off a 10-day span that saw Norris collect All-America honors at the NCAA Indoor Track and Field Championships and NCAA Cross Country Championships – with those two races taking place in two different states and just three days apart. Norris registered the third-fastest indoor 5000-meter time in Academy history (15:51.73) to finish fourth and garner first-team All-America status on the track, before earning the same placement with a 6K time of 20:11.8 on the cross country course. Her success continues in the outdoor season, as she tallied Championship Meet Record times to win both the 3000-meter steeplechase (Academy Record 9:44.10 – just the second steeplechase of her career) and 5000-meter run (15:39.13 – the second-fastest time in Academy history, first race of the season at that distance) at the Mountain West Outdoor Championships.
Ferguson earned first-team all-Mountain West honors and was on the Outland Trophy Watch List in 2020. He earned the selection to play in the Hula Bowl All-Star game, the first offensive lineman selected for the game since 2005. Ferguson helped anchor the offensive line that led Air Force to the national rushing title for just the second time in program history with a 305.7 per-game average. Ferguson agreed to terms on free agent contract with the National Football League's New York Jets, pending approval from the Secretary of Defense.
Kirkpatrick is a four-year letter winner in gymnastics. She is a member of the Superintendent's List at the Academy for outstanding performance in academics, athletics and military performance. In addition, she
earned the Air Force Academy Character and Ethics Scholarship, a full-tuition scholarship to Carnegie Mellon and the Fullbright Scholarship to study in Taiwan. A first-team USA Gymnastics All-American as a freshman, Kirkpatrick posted career-best marks on the vault (9.800) and uneven parallel bars (9.850). She is a two-time MPSF All-Academic award winner and a two-time USA Gymnastics Academic All-American.
In her time at the Academy, senior Kylie Stronko was a three-time all-conference swimmer, a three-time Academic All-MW honoree, and was the winner of the 2021 MW Senior Recognition Award. The 2021 team captain is also the program record holder in both the 100 (54.43) and 200 backstroke (1:57.40). Stronko, who served as chairman of the Academy's Student Athletes Advisory Committee (SAAC), also earned a prestigious NCAA Postgraduate Scholarship. Following graduation later this month, Stronko will head to Georgetown University to pursue a Master of Arts degree in Latin American Studies.
Although Maria Mettler's senior season has been drastically shortened by injury, she still broke the Academy record and qualified to the NCAA Championships in the 10,000-meter run. Mettler crushed the program standard, qualified for the Olympic Trials and recorded the fastest collegiate debut in history during a winning performance at The Sound Running Track Meet in early December (32:09.37), before being sidelined until mid-May. In her return to competition at the conference meet, Mettler placed fifth with a time that served as a qualifying mark to the upcoming NCAA Championships.
Laufenberg earned first-team all-Mountain West honors for the second straight year and was on the Outland Trophy Watch List in 2020. Laufenberg earned preseason All-American honors by the Walter Camp Football Foundation, USA Today and the Associated Press, as well as being recognized and one of five All-American offensive lineman by Pro Football Focus. Laufenberg helped anchor the offensive line that led Air Force to the national rushing title for just the second time in program history with a 305.7 per-game average. He agreed to terms on a free agent contract with the NFL's Denver Broncos, pending approval from the Secretary of Defense.
In addition to the top six awards, the department honored most valuable athletes from each sport, plus a pair of physical education award winners.
2020-21 Team Most Valuable Players
Women's Cross Country
Senior Mahala Norris finished fourth at the NCAA Championship in mid-March, earning her second All-America award in cross country and recording the highest finish ever by a member of the women's team at the NCAA Division I level – and the Falcons' best individual finish since 1995. The senior, who claimed that finish just three days after earning the same placement in the 5000-meter run at the NCAA Indoor Championships, also accounted for first-place finishes at the Silver State Collegiate Challenge and Mountain West Championships – with the latter race providing the first individual MW title for a member of the Air Force women's cross country team. Norris earned Athlete of the Year honors from the Mountain West and USTFCCCA Mountain Region.
Men's Cross Country
Scott Johnson helped Air Force to a Mountain West championship, a top 20 national ranking and an appearance at the NCAA Cross Country Championships. The senior finished seventh at the conference meet, earning first-team all-MW accolades and helping the men to their third Mountain West title. At the national meet, Johnson – the only member of the Falcons' 2020 lineup to have previously competed at the NCAA Championships – finished within the top half of the 251-runner field (103rd).
Most Valuable Football Player
Senior offensive lineman Nolan Laufenberg earned first-team all-Mountain West honors and was on the Outland Trophy Watch List in 2020. Laufenberg earned preseason All-American honors by the Walter Camp Football Foundation, USA Today and the Associated Press, as well as being recognized and one of five All-American offensive lineman by Pro Football Focus. Laufenberg helped anchor the offensive line that led Air Force to the national rushing title for just the second time in program history with a 305.7 per-game average.
Most Valuable Football Offensive Player
Senior offensive lineman Parker Ferguson earned first-team all-Mountain West honors and was on the Outland Trophy Watch List in 2020. He earned the selection to play in the Hula Bowl All-Star game, the first offensive lineman selected for the game since 2005. Ferguson helped anchor the offensive line that led Air Force to the national rushing title for just the second time in program history with a 305.7 per-game average.
Most Valuable Football Defensive Player
Senior defensive back Elisha Palm started all six games in 2020 and led the team in tackles with 38, including 27 unassisted. He also had 1.5 tackles for loss, which ranked third on the team. Palm ranked eighth in the Mountain West in passes defended with a team-high three. He recorded a career-high nine tackles and 1.5 tackles for loss and his first-career interception at San Jose State.
Most Valuable Football Lineman/Special Teams
Senior defensive lineman George Silvanic was an honorable mention all-Mountain West selection after leading the Falcons in tackles for loss (4.5) and quarterback sacks (2.5). He was second on the team in tackles with 34. He recorded a career-high 11 tackles and a tackle for loss at Army. Silvanic moved from offensive to defensive line two weeks prior to the season opener vs. Navy.
Golf
Senior Kyle Spencer was team captain and led the Falcons with a 75.44 season stroke average. He had a team-high five rounds at par or better in a season that was shortened to just 18 rounds due to the pandemic. Spencer saved his best for last, shooting a season best 218 (+2) at the Mountain West Championships. In the final round, he matched his career-best round of 69.
Women's Soccer
Sophomore Kayla Milford started all eight games on defense, totaling second-most minutes (695). She played in every minute in six of eight matches, including playing all 90 minutes on defense in the 1-0 win over Wyoming.
Men's Soccer
Sophomore defender London Aghedo, a linchpin defender, started in all 13 matches this season. He recorded 1,129 minutes, the most by any player on the squad with the exception of the goalkeeper. Aghedo concluded the season with two goals and an assist, which was the most by any Falcon defender. Aghedo earned first-team all-WAC honors and was a member of the WAC all-tournament team.
Volleyball
All-conference selection Bailey Keith led the team in kills (130), kills per set (2.45) and points (150.5) as a junior, while averaging .224 hitting on 352 swings. She also accounted for 1.17 digs and 0.51 blocks per set – defensive stats that helped Air Force hold its opponents to a league-low .151 average. Keith, who earned a double-double against Utah State (team-high 13 kills, career-best 17 digs) and helped Air Force to streak-ending victories over Colorado State and San Jose State, paced the team in kills during six of 13 conference contests, including four of the final six.
Water Polo
Sophomore Grant Snyder earned second-team All-America honors from the Association of Collegiate Water Polo Coaches (ACWPC). His second-team honor is the highest in program history. Snyder, from Springville, Calif., ranked third in the nation in points (50), sixth in goals (33), sixth in assists (17) and seventh in steals (19). He also led the nation in sprint victories with 32. An all-WWPA selection, he posted at least one point in all 11 games and scored a goal in 10 of the 11.
Women's Basketball
Junior forward Riley Snyder was the team's leading scoring and earned an all-Mountain West honorable mention honors. She finished fifth in the league in points per game while posting eight 20-point games, four of which happened in the last six games. Snyder crested the 1,000 point mark in career scoring, becoming the 18th player in program history to achieve the feat. She enters her senior year with 1,124 career points.
Men's Basketball
Senior team co-captain Chris Joyce ranked second on the team in scoring, averaging 10.4 points per game. Joyce averaged 32 minutes per game for the Falcons, which ranked 10th in the Mountain West. Joyce Also ranked second on the team with 33 three's. He was one of three players to start all 25 games for Air Force.
Boxing
In his only appearance of the year, junior Zach Phillips earned the 145-pound title at the Cincinnati Fitness and Boxing Spring Showdown in late March, after claiming a decision over Jacob Maslyk from CFB.
Women's Fencing
Junior Erin Shea posted a 13-8 record in women's saber. Her .619 bout win percentage led the team. This season marked her first-career team MVP honor.
Men's Fencing
Sophomore Matthew Han posted a 25-24 overall record, ranking third on the team in bout victories. Han earned second-team All-America honors with his seventh place finish in men's epee at the 2021 NCAA Fencing Championships. It was Han's second All-America honor.
Women's Gymnastics
Junior Daija Stevenson was tabbed the team's MVP. Stevenson competed in every event in every meet of the season with the exception of the season opener. She posted three career-best scores on the season and won first-place on seven occasions. Her 9.900 on the floor exercise is a career-high mark and ties for the highest score by any Falcon on the season. She earned USAG All-America honors in the all-around, floor exercise and vault, marking her sixth-career USAG All-America accolade.
Men's Gymnastics
Frankie Valentin had a remarkable senior year for the Falcons, advancing to the NCAA Championships in the all-around and qualifying to the U.S. Championships. Valentin, who became just the seventh Falcon to earn MPSF All-Academic Scholar-Athlete honors in every year of eligibility, led the team on the still rings and all-around in 2021. Following an 80.300 performance in the win over William & Mary, he became just the second Air Force gymnast to break the 80-point tally in the all-around.
Ice Hockey
Sophomore Willie Reim was the team's leading scorer with 12 points on six goals and six assists in 14 games. He led the team with two game-winners, netting both of them in overtime as the Falcons defeated Bentley on Feb. 1 and Canisius on Feb. 19. The winger from North Oaks, Minn., had a career best two goals in that win over Canisius and had two points in a game three times this past season. He scored a point in his final six games, the longest streak of his career and the longest by a Falcon this season.
Men's and Women's Rifle
Junior Peter Fiori finished the year as a College Rifle Coaches Association second-team All-American in both the smallbore and air rifle. He also earned third-team honors for aggregate scoring. Fiori earned conference honors for both guns following the Patriot Rifle Conference Championships. This is Fiori's third most valuable marksman award of his career.
Women's Swimming
Sophomore Sefilina Maile earned All-Conference recognition in the 50 free (7th), 100 free (2nd), and 200 free (6th). She is the first AF swimmer to earn All-MW in three events since 2017. In addition, her prelim time in the 50 free (23.16) and 200 free (1:50.01) were the third and sixth-best times in Academy history, respectively, while her 100 time (50.12) earlier in the season was the second-quickest in Academy history.
Men's Swimming
Junior Isaac Gwin was named the WAC Swimmer of the Year after winning three individual events, was a part of a winning relay, and set two school records at the 2021 WAC Championships. He qualified for the NCAA Championships and finished 18th in the 100 back with a school record time of 46.07.
Men's/Women's Diving
Senior Cole Armagost had the top dive in each of the three events for AF in 2020-21, and qualified for NCAA Zone E competition in each dive. He placed in the top-three at the WAC Championships in each dive as well, taking silver in the 1-meter and platform, and bronze in the 3-meter.
Wrestling
Freshman Wyatt Hendrickson went 16-5 overall with three major decisions, a tech fall, and seven pins. Both wins and pins were the most on the team. He placed third at the Big 12 Championships, and went on to win three matches at the NCAA Championships, finishing one win shy of becoming an All-American. He was the first AF freshman wrestler to qualify for NCAAs since 2013.
Baseball
Freshman Paul Skenes is poised to earn Mountain West Freshman of the Year honors, as well as All-American status in his first season as a Falcon. The Lake Forest, Calif., native leads the team in almost every major offensive category, ranks in the top-10 in 10 offensive categories in the MW, and nationally, ranks in the top-100 in seven categories. In addition, he serves as the team closer on the mound, and ranks seventh in the nation with 10 saves, which is an Academy freshman record. He is the only player in D1 baseball to have double-digit home runs (10) and saves (10). He has started in every game for the Falcons, and has a hit in all but eight games.
Lacrosse
Senior midfielder Matthew O'Rourk was a four-year letter winner and concluded the season with 21 points via 11 goals and 10 assists, highlighted by a hat trick performance against #2/1 Duke. He concluded his career at Air Force as the Falcons' active leader in career assists (28).
Women's Tennis
Senior and team captain Meredith Jones posted eight wins for the Falcons, playing all 16 singles matches at No. 1. The senior had 16 combined wins on the season, also playing primarily at No. 1 doubles as well. Jones graduates with 133 career combined wins. Her 73 career doubles wins ranks 10th all-time at Air Force.
Men's Tennis
Senior and team captain Paul Hendrix is Air Force men's tennis MVP. Hendrix captured the team MVP honor for the second time in his career. The senior posted six wins at No. 1 singles and 10 wins at No. 1 doubles. He earned All-Mountain West singles and doubles for the second time in this career. He is the first multiple all-conference honoree for the program since 2012-13.
Women's Track and Field
(AS OF MAY 19): Mahala Norris is in the midst of a historic senior season that spans both track and cross country. Norris garnered first-team All-America honors during the indoor season after clocking the third-fastest indoor 5000-meter time in Academy history (15:51.73) to finish fourth in the national final. That finish, which came just one week after winning the MW Cross Country title and three days before taking fourth at the NCAA Cross Country Championships, was the best NCAA Indoor placement in a running event since 2010. Her success continues in the outdoor season, as Norris tallied Championship Meet Record times to win both the 3000-meter steeplechase (Academy Record 9:44.10 – just the second steeplechase of her career) and 5000-meter run (15:39.13 – the second-fastest time in Academy history, first race of the season at that distance) at the Mountain West Outdoor Championships.
Women's Track and Field Outstanding Competitor
(AS OF MAY 19): Although Maria Mettler's senior season has been drastically shortened by injury, she still broke the Academy Record and qualified to the NCAA Championships in the 10,000-meter run. Mettler crushed the program standard – and qualified for the Olympic Trials – during a winning performance at The Sound Running Track Meet in early December (32:09.37), before being sidelined until mid-May. In her return to competition at the conference meet, Mettler placed fifth with a time that served as a qualifying mark to the upcoming NCAA Championships.
Men's Track and Field
(AS OF MAY 19): Senior pole vaulter Greg Skage had a strong senior season, earning All-America honors during the indoor season and successfully defending his Mountain West title during the outdoor season. Skage, who cleared a career-best 17'9¾" on two separate occasions to post the eighth-best indoor clearance in Academy history, earned second-team All-America honors after a 12th-place finish at the national meet. Prior to winning the MW Outdoor title and leading the Falcons to a 1-2-3 finish, Skage equaled his career-best outdoor clearance of 17'6½" at the Twilight Open to stand at 11th on the program's all-time outdoor standings and finish the regular season ranked within the nation's Top 30.
Men's Track and Field Outstanding Competitor
(AS OF MAY 19): Sam Gilman is in the midst of a stellar sophomore campaign, rewriting Academy history in the 1500-meter run. During his first outdoor season, Gilman deleted nearly a second from the Academy Record after clocking a time of 3:40.39 at the Drake Relays. He also clocked a Meet Record time of 3:40.44 to win the Mountain West, finished first in two additional races (Stanford Invitational, West Coast Relays), claimed back-to-back MW Athlete of the Week honors and qualified to the NCAA Championships in his signature event. Gilman also accounted for the second-fastest 5000-meter run in program history (13:48.35) during the indoor season.
Physical Education Average Award (The Bickle Award is presented to the graduating cadet who has attained the highest Cumulative Physical Education Average (PEA) in their class)
Spencer Rohlwing was the irrefutable winner of the class of 2021 Bickle award. He earned the athletic equivalent of the "ACE" award for perfect 4.0 semesters three times and etched his name in the prestigious 500-club wall for maxing the cadet physical fitness test (PFT) six times. Rohlwing ended his distinguished academy athletic career with an unmatched PEA of 3.94.
Outstanding Cadet in Physical Education (The Crowell Award is presented to the graduating cadet who has attained the highest GPA from Physical Education (PE) Courses)
Mark Watson received the highest Physical Education GPA in the Class of '2021, with a 3.925 average earned in the required PE Course of Instruction. Watson earned no lower than A- throughout the entire core and elective PE sequence, while also maintaining an exemplary 3.96 cumulative academic GPA and 3.36 cumulative PEA, and participating in the university exchange program one semester.
Stacy McIntyre and Player POST Nevada
Saturday, December 20
Falcons even MW slate at 1-1 with win over Nevada
Saturday, December 20
Stacy McIntyre and Jayda McNabb Post Game vs New Mexico Highlands
Saturday, December 13
Falcons win a tight one against New Mexico Highlands
Saturday, December 13
