Four Falcons Qualify for the NCAA Men’s Gymnastics Championship Finals

COLUMBUS, Ohio – The 10^th-ranked Falcons scored 398.089 at the 2024 NCAA Men's Gymnastics Championship Qualifiers to finish fifth in the Session II field inside Ohio State's Covelli Center. Four Falcons qualified for the finals competition. The second-ranked Sooners of Oklahoma (418.957) claimed the session while No. 3 Michigan (418.954), No. 6 Ohio State (408.725), No. 7 Penn State (405.423) finished in order. Air Force posted season high team scores on the vault (70.965) and parallel bars (67.265) in the championship effort.

Falcon pommel horse specialist Patrick Hoopes leads the NCAA field in the event after posting a stellar 15.266— his second-highest score on the pommel this season. Hoopes also set a personal season high score on the p-bars (13.300). Teammates Sam Brown and Jack Matlock were exceptional in the same event, scoring 14.266 and 13.866 for fifth and ninth place, respectively. Brown punched his ticket to the finals for a second time in the effort.

Junior all-arounder Erich Upton qualified for the finals for the second time with a career best 80.531 to place second in the Session II qualifiers. Upton stood out on the floor exercise (14.066) and vault (14.433), placing fifth and tied for 11^th, respectively.

Senior Jake Sampier set a personal season best mark on the vault (13.800), helping AF to its season high score in the event. Sampier rounded out his performance with a 13.033 on the floor exercise.

Senior leaders Garrett Braunton and Oliver Zavel had solid performances in their capstone showing. Zavel, qualifying for his third championship finals, finished 16^th on the p-bars (13.533), and 17^th on the floor exercise (13.433). Braunton registered a 14.266 on the vault to tie for 22^nd place just behind teammate Brian Woffinden who scored 14.300 to claim 21^st.

Tai Gopaul and Charlie Miles brought the energy to the parallel bars with 13.366 and 13.233, respectively. Gopaul also posted a 13.166 on the floor exercise.

Air Force finalists will compete for national titles in the finals session, tomorrow (April 20) in the Covelli Center. Top-ranked Stanford, No. 2 Oklahoma, No. 3 Michigan, No. 4 Illinois, No. 5 Nebraska, and No. 6 Ohio State will compete for the team title at 6 p.m. ET.

Footer

The appearance of hyperlinks does not constitute endorsement by the u.s air force of non-u.s. government sites or the information, products, or services contained therein. Although the u.s. air force may or may not use these sites as additional distribution channels for department of defense information, it does not exercise editorial control over all of the information that you may find at these locations. Such links are provided consistent with the stated purpose of this website.