Tai Gopaul Wins High Bar at USAG Collegiate Nationals

USAF ACADEMY, Colo. -- Air Force senior Tai Gopaul captured the high bar title this afternoon (March 21), as four members of the men's gymnastics team competed in the individual event finals of the USAG Collegiate Nationals inside the Academy's Cadet West Gym. Gopaul's championship paced the Falcons to three USAG All-America accolades.

Saving the best for last, Gopaul – the final competitor of the day at Cadet West Gym – secured his first USAG championship after garnering a score of 13.550 – a tally just shy of his own Air Force Record (13.600). The senior co-captain, who bettered the field by 0.150 for the title, is the sixth Falcon to earn a USAG Collegiate title on the high bar – joining Garrett Braunton (2023, 2024), Nick Gaudlip (2013, 2014), Erin Montague (1999), Mac Ritchie (2012), and Lukas Texeira (2018, 2019)

In addition to Gopaul's win on the high bar, fellow senior Jack Matlock and freshman Isaac Koo earned USAG All-America honors following top-six finishes in their respective events. Matlock matched his season-high of 13.950 to finish second on the pommel horse, while Koo tied for fourth on the parallel bars after posting a score of 13.100.

Koo represented the Falcons in three different events during his first appearance at the USAG Collegiate Nationals, finishing seventh on the floor exercise (12.750) and eighth on the vault (12.500). Gopaul also competed in multiple events this afternoon, adding a seventh-place score of 12.700 on the still rings, while classmate Sam Brown rounded out the Falcons' list of national finalists with a seventh-place score of 12.050 on the pommel horse.

Greenville's Jaxon Clapper captured USAG titles on the floor exercise (13.800) and parallel bars (14.150), while Springfield's Peyton Cramer (pommel horse, 14.000), Simpson's Brian Rollison (still rings, 13.700) and Army West Point's Nick Lester (vault, 13.850) rounded out the 2026 list of USAG national champions.

The Falcons return to action on Saturday, April 3, when they travel to Berkeley, Calif., to take on Oklahoma, Stanford, and Cal at the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation Championships.

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