Air Force Takes Down Army, Navy at All-Academy Championships

FORT WORTH, Texas -- The 10th-ranked Air Force men's gymnastics team posted a season-high 314.500 to easily defeat eighth-ranked Navy (311.200) and ninth-ranked Army West Point (309.225) this evening (Feb. 15) during the annual All-Academy Championships in Fort Worth, Texas. The Falcons captured event titles in five of the six events, while posting 1-2 finishes on the floor exercise, pommel horse, and parallel bars.

It was the third-straight All-Academy title for the Falcons over their counterparts from Annapolis and West Point – and their 12th since the meet was established in 2000.

Erich Upton continued his stellar senior season on Saturday, capturing first-place honors on the floor exercise (career-high 13.700), vault (career-high 14.400) and parallel bars (13.675) – while adding a third-place score of 12.900 on the still rings. Upton led the Falcons to a 1-2 finish on two events, as freshman Jared Fry scored a personal-best 13.550 to take second on the floor and senior Charlie Miles earned runner-up honors on the parallel bars following a 13.400 routine.

Juniors Jack Matlock and Denis Irimiea rounded out the Falcons' list of event champions, as the pair produced first-place finishes the pommel horse and still rings. Matlock garnered a career-high of 14.175 to take first on the pommel horse and lead Air Force to a 1-2 finish (senior Patrick Hoopes, 14.150), while Irimiea garnered a personal-best 13.125 to collect first-place honors on the rings.

In addition to his runner-up finish on the floor, Fry placed within the top half of the service academy field on the vault, as he placed fifth with a personal-best mark of 14.750. Junior Tai Gopaul was the Falcons' top finisher on the high bar, scoring a career-high 13.150 to finish second, and finished among the top half of the field on the parallel bars after scoring a 12.275 to place fourth.

The Falcons will step back from team competition next week for the annual Winter Cup break. Hoopes and Upton will represent Air Force at the national meet, which will take place in Louisville, Ky., over the Feb. 21-23 weekend.

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