Friday, January 24
USAFA, Colo.
7:00 PM MT
Air Force Academy
vs
Utah State
Photo by: U.S. Air Force Photo by Ray Bahn
Women’s Gymnastics Returns for Mountain West Opener with Utah State
1/23/2025 11:32:00 AM | Women's Gymnastics
Air Force Women's Gymnastics, after a pair of strong showings to open its 2025 season, returns to Cadet West Gym on Friday evening for Military and Staff Appreciation Night, hosting Utah State at 7 p.m. MT.
Follow Along:
Friday's competition will be broadcast on the Mountain West Network free of charge; Live scoring will be provided via Virtius; Links to both can be found on the women's gymnastics schedule page at goairforcefalcons.com.
Falcons Continue to Leave Their Mark on the Weekly MW Honors List
Sophomore Maggie Slife continues to represent Air Force Women's Gymnastics and the Academy to the highest degree, as the reigning Mountain West Freshman of the Year was named the conference Gymnast of the Week for the second-straight week.
Slife, in the Falcons' dual meet at Arizona on Jan. 17, earned her second all-around title in as many weeks of competition, scoring a league-best 39.275. The reigning conference Freshman of the Year finished third or better in three events (vault – 9.800, bars – 9.850, floor – 9.900) while tying for fifth against the 19th-ranked team nationally on beam. Slife has won the all-around title in both of Air Force's meets to open 2025.
The award marks Slife's seventh career top weekly honor from the Mountain West after earning Gymnast of the Week recognition five times in her freshman season.
Newcomer Alyssa Bigler in the Falcons' season debut against LIU on Jan. 10, scored a first-place finish on vault and led the Mountain West with a 9.825. Bigler's podium performance underscored a 48.650 team finish – a score good to match Air Force's season high from last year. Bigler finished her collegiate debut on Friday second in the all-around (38.275) behind teammate Slife.
One Team, One Fight:
For the Falcons, the 2025 season is underscored by the spirit of their new motto: "OneTeamOneFight." The phrase, encapsulates the Falcons' total commitment to unity and resilience. It's not just a rallying cry for the collective success of Air Force in 2025, but a reminder that each athlete's individual battles — whether physical, mental, or emotional — are equally important, and that these personal struggles are not faced in isolation; rather, they serve as a source of strength and inspiration for the entire group.
Last Time Out:
A young Falcons squad, facing its first road challenge of the 2025 season, took on the No. 24 Arizona GymCats at McKale Center in Tucson on Jan. 17.
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 19th-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.
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.
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.
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.
Follow Along:
Friday's competition will be broadcast on the Mountain West Network free of charge; Live scoring will be provided via Virtius; Links to both can be found on the women's gymnastics schedule page at goairforcefalcons.com.
Falcons Continue to Leave Their Mark on the Weekly MW Honors List
Sophomore Maggie Slife continues to represent Air Force Women's Gymnastics and the Academy to the highest degree, as the reigning Mountain West Freshman of the Year was named the conference Gymnast of the Week for the second-straight week.
Slife, in the Falcons' dual meet at Arizona on Jan. 17, earned her second all-around title in as many weeks of competition, scoring a league-best 39.275. The reigning conference Freshman of the Year finished third or better in three events (vault – 9.800, bars – 9.850, floor – 9.900) while tying for fifth against the 19th-ranked team nationally on beam. Slife has won the all-around title in both of Air Force's meets to open 2025.
The award marks Slife's seventh career top weekly honor from the Mountain West after earning Gymnast of the Week recognition five times in her freshman season.
Newcomer Alyssa Bigler in the Falcons' season debut against LIU on Jan. 10, scored a first-place finish on vault and led the Mountain West with a 9.825. Bigler's podium performance underscored a 48.650 team finish – a score good to match Air Force's season high from last year. Bigler finished her collegiate debut on Friday second in the all-around (38.275) behind teammate Slife.
One Team, One Fight:
For the Falcons, the 2025 season is underscored by the spirit of their new motto: "OneTeamOneFight." The phrase, encapsulates the Falcons' total commitment to unity and resilience. It's not just a rallying cry for the collective success of Air Force in 2025, but a reminder that each athlete's individual battles — whether physical, mental, or emotional — are equally important, and that these personal struggles are not faced in isolation; rather, they serve as a source of strength and inspiration for the entire group.
Last Time Out:
A young Falcons squad, facing its first road challenge of the 2025 season, took on the No. 24 Arizona GymCats at McKale Center in Tucson on Jan. 17.
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 19th-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.
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.
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.
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.
Players Mentioned
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/ Women's Gymnastics
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/ Women's Gymnastics
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/ Women's Gymnastics
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/ Women's Gymnastics
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/ Women's Gymnastics
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/ Women's Gymnastics
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/ Women's Gymnastics
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