Falcons Gain Traction in Week Two, Fall at Arizona

TUCSON, Ariz. – A young Air Force Women's Gymnastics team, facing its first road challenge of the 2025 season, took on the No. 24 Arizona GymCats at McKale Center on Friday evening.

The Falcons, laden with new faces and comprised largely of underclassmen in 2025, while facing their fair share of adversity, took on Friday's competition with grace and confidence to close the evening with a 193.450, short of Arizona's 196.100 season best.

Sophomore Maggie Slife, the reigning Mountain West Freshman of the Year and MW Gymnast of the Week to open the season, earned her second all-around title, scoring a 39.275, beating out three GymCats – including a pair of seniors - for the honor. Slife finished third or better in three events, while tying for fifth against the 19^th-ranked team nationally on beam.

Opening on uneven bars, the Falcons finished with a 47.975. Slife, sticking her landing, earned a 9.850, good for a share of second place, while freshman Alyssa Bigler followed up in fifth, scoring a 9.775 and boosting her season best by five tenths. Sophomore Chelsea Boyer continued her climb on the scoresheet, upping her week-one finish with a 9.625.

"On bars we overcame some uncharacteristic falls, which showed a lot of maturity in our young lineup, regrouping after mistakes and conquering the rest of their routines," head coach Jennifer Green said. "That's a challenge for any athlete and I'm super proud of them for showing grace in those moments."

Moving over to vault for its second event, Air Force closed with a 48.375. Slife, earning a full 10.00 start value with a difficult routine, earned second place, scoring a 9.800. Fellow sophomore Olivia Raife, coming on as a full member of the Falcon vault lineup in 2025, scored a 9.700 to earn a share of sixth.

'We have a powerful vault lineup, our landings are improving but there is still work to be done," Green said. We will focus this week on control to shine again at home next week!"

Air Force made its strongest showing of the evening on floor, improving vastly from the first week of competition. Air Force finished with a 48.875 – adding .850 to the score card from the Falcons' first showing against LIU. Slife landed a third-place 9.900 to match her career best for the fourth time and first this season; Sophomore Alyssa Bigler took a slight deduction on her second pass, but showed exceptional command of her routine and confidence, earning a share of sixth with senior Gabriella Meccia scoring a season-best 9.775.

"I loved the energy we brought to floor - they definitely were enjoying themselves," Green said. "It created an environment that we could thrive in, and it showed in our scores.

Finishing out on balance beam, the Falcons earned a 48.225, bolstered by Slife and junior Velandra Brochi's pair of fifth-place, 9.725 finishes. Freshman Nhi Nguyen, competing in Air Force colors for the first time, claimed a share of eighth with teammate Kylee Greene, both scoring a 9.625.

"As if flipping on a four-inch beam isn't hard enough, you add the extra stresses of an arena environment and finishing on beam becomes a serious challenge for anyone," Green said. "Despite those stresses, the team finished strong on beam. Our lineup, which included three freshmen, handled the stress well. Everyone stayed on, and we finished with our heads held high. The arena environment increased the nerves at the beginning but by the end, things ironed out and we were able to embrace the energy."

"We are gaining traction and are motivated to blow the roof off of Cadet Gym for our military and staff appreciation night next week!"

Up Next:
Air Force Women's Gymnastics is back in Cadet West Gym on Friday, Jan. 24, hosting Utah State at 7 p.m. MT in the Falcons' Mountain West opener.

Falcons Gain Traction in Week Two, Fall at Arizona

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Players Mentioned

Alyssa Bigler

Chelsea Boyer

Velandra Brochi

Kylee Greene

Gabriella Meccia

Nhi Nguyen

Olivia Raife

Maggie Slife

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