Seniors Lead Falcons to Victory over No. 10 Cal

USAF ACADEMY, Colo. -- Backed by another NCAA-leading pommel horse performance from senior Patrick Hoopes and a strong finish on the high bar from classmates Erich Upton and Charlie Miles, the 11th-ranked Air Force men's gymnastics team collected a season-high 313.500 to defeat 10th-ranked California (312.350) this afternoon (Feb. 8) during Senior Day at the Academy's Cadet West Gym.

The Falcons' 1.15-point win over the Bears marked just the fourth time that Air Force has defeated their conference counterparts from Berkeley.

Hoopes' performance on the pommel horse headlined the afternoon, as the senior put together a 15.150 routine to become the first gymnast in the NCAA to earn a 15-point score in any of the six events this season. Hoopes, who now holds the nation's top two scores on the pommel horse in 2025, led Air Force to a 1-2 finish in that event on Saturday, as junior Jack Matlock added a score of 14.150 to finish second.

The Falcons and Bears battled throughout the day, but Miles and Upton secured Air Force's win with strong performances to finish the high bar after a slow start to the rotation. Miles captured first-place honors in the event after securing a score of 13.500 – a season best by nearly two points, while Upton followed with a 12.750 in the final routine for a third-place individual finish.

Upton added event titles on the vault and parallel bars during Saturday's meet, while freshman Jared Fry joined the senior trio of victors by tying for first on the still rings with a career-best score of 13.050 – a personal best by more than two points. Upton, who matched his career high of 14.050 to win the vault, posted a personal-best of 13.850 to win the parallel bars and lead the Falcons to three of the top-four scores on that event, as junior Tai Gopaul and freshman Jack Foltyn tied for third with matching scores of 13.250 (career bests for both). Upton also led the team on the floor exercise, as he finished second with a personal-best 13.650. In addition to his performance on the still rings, Fry added career-best scores to finish fourth on both the floor exercise (13.100) and vault (13.600).

As a team, the Falcons outscored the Bears in three events, winning the pommel horse (season-high 55.100), parallel bars (season-high 52.900) and high bar (49.100).

Air Force will now set its sights on Army and Navy, as the three service academies will meet in Fort Worth, Texas, next Saturday (Feb. 15) for the annual All-Academy Championships. Action is slated to begin at 6:30 p.m. (CT) inside the Fort Worth Convention Center.

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