Falcons fall by slimmest of margins against Hornets

SACRAMENTO, Calif.- A late rally by Sacramento State in the final rotation pushed the Hornets into a winning position, as Air Force was on the unfortunate end of a 194.225-194.00 final score.

"We had some mistakes early which are hard to overcome on the road," said head coach Jennifer Green. "We were committed to having the courage to go big and with no fear."

AIr Force began the meet on the bars, though there were no jitters for the young Falcons. Freshman Genevieve Sabado placed first in the event with a 9.825 while her new career-best 39.300 all around score was also first among the qualifying field.

Ayla McKean, another freshman, produced a 9.750 in the bars, good for one of her three second-place titles. McKean, the incumbent MPSF Freshman of the Week, matched her career-high 39.100 all around total, where she also placed second overall.

Cameo Stapleton's floor routine was the best of her collegiate career, as the senior exercised the floor to the tune of a 9.900. Stapleton's performance matches Briona Carswell's 9.900 as season-bests thus far for Air Force.

The Falcons overall score on the floor was again superlative. A judged lineup of Stapleton, Sabado, McKean, Daija Stevenson, and Velandra Brochi posted a 49.125 to match the team's season-best score in the event. All five gymnasts were awarded at least 9.775, as the Falcons have now posted identical floor exercise scores for consecutive meets.

Carswell placed third in the balance beam amongst a crowded field, where she managed a season-best 9.850. Brochi's 9.800 was also the highest beam score of her freshman season.

The Falcons success on the floor saw the away side take a small lead entering the final rotation, but the Hornets followed with clean routines of their own, scoring a 49.225 in the final event to clinch the narrow win.

"We are getting so close, but we need to learn how to put an exclamation on our performance," Green said. "We will go home and make a few adjustments."

Next, Air Force will again travel for MPSF competition when the Falcons head to San Jose State on Friday, February 11. The meet is scheduled to begin at 8:00 pm MT.

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