Women’s Gymnastics Climb Continues, Posting Season-High for Second-Straight Week

Final Score Sheet

SACRAMENTO, Calif. - As the Air Force women's gymnastics team progresses through its spring season, the energy and poise which the Falcons express in competition seems to amplify with each passing week.

As confidence grows among the team, results have improved in kind, as the Falcons capped the month of February with a 195.650 showing at Sacramento State on Friday, setting a season-best score for the second consecutive week and marking the first time Air Force has scored above 195.000 in back-to-back weeks for the first time since the 2014 season.

Air Force improved in three of the evening's four events from its prior meet, setting season-best team scores on balance beam (49.125) and floor exercise (48.925), while tying its season-high mark on vault (48.625).

The Falcons opened the evening with a solid showing on uneven bars behind a pair of 9.825 performances for sophomores Leilani Zander and Velandra Brochi, marking a new career-best for Zander and tying Brochi's top mark. In the event, the Falcons closed with a 48.975, the second-highest team score of the season behind Air Force's 49.075 earned in Air Force's regular season home finale on Feb. 17.

Air Force continued to show out as they moved to the vault, with a trio of 9.750s earned by reigning MPSF Freshman of the Week Kylee Green, Gracie Willis and Brochi, all tying for third in the event. 9.750 marks career-highs in the event for both Greene and Willis, while tying the second-highest score of Brochi's intercollegiate career.

Air Force took a big step forward in the floor exercise, Improving by .175 from the week prior to set a new season-best 48.925:

Brochi and Greene both led scoring in the event with a 9.825, both tying career-bests; McKean tied her season best with a 9.800; Meccia, building on her first season to compete in the floor exercise, logged a 9.750, setting a new career best for the sophomore.

To close the evening, a season-best effort for the Falcons on balance beam was led by a pair of 9.850 performances for both Brochi and McKean, setting a season best and tying a career high for Brochi and marking McKean's second-best score of the season while tying for second place in the event. Greene and senior Amber Boll followed up, both earning a 9.825 – tying a career mark for Greene.

Brochi won her third all-around title of the season, finishing the night, earning a season-best 39.250; McKean finished in second with a 39.125.

Head Coach Jennifer Green's Insight on Another Solid Team Showing:
"It was a fantastic meet from start to finish. Our commitment tonight was to do it 'For Each Other.' They owned it. You could see pure joy in the team's demeanor, and what a fun-loving environment. It was easy out there tonight for them because of that.

"We still had some mistakes; However, despite the hiccups, you couldn't see a difference in their demeanor, and that is such a huge factor! We are definitely moving in the right direction, and I am very proud of how things are progressing for us."

Green on Positive Habits Beginning to Take Root Among the Team:
"The team has truly bought into a few new rituals/routines we have implemented into our practices. We are creating the habits that produce champions. The intentionality or attention to detail that they possess every day is showing up on the competition floor now!"

Up Next:
Air Force women's gymnastics closes its regular season with a pair of Power Five stops, performing at North Carolina (March 3) and Nebraska (March 11), before returning to USAFA in preparation to host the MPSF Championships on March 18.

Women’s Gymnastics Climb Continues, Posting Season-High for Second-Straight Week

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Players Mentioned

Amber Boll

Velandra Brochi

Leilani Zander

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