Friday, April 17
Champaign, IL
6:00 pm MT
Air Force Academy
at
NCAA National Qualifier
Photo by: Ray Bahner
Air Force Gymnasts Set for NCAA Championships
4/15/2026 2:25:00 PM | Men's Gymnastics
Seven members of Air Force's 14th-ranked men's gymnastics team will close out the 2026 collegiate season this weekend, as they travel to Champaign, Ill., for the 2026 NCAA Men's Gymnastics Championships. The two-day meet, held at Illinois' State Farm Center, begins with two qualifying sessions on Friday, April 17, and concludes with the national championship meet on Saturday, April 18.
MEET INFORMATION
The 2026 NCAA Men's Gymnastics Championships will take place at the State Fram Center on the University of Illinois campus in Champaign. Two qualifying sessions (1:00 p.m., 7:00 p.m. CT) will be held on Friday, April 17, while the team and individual event finals will take place at 6:00 p.m. (CT) on Saturday, April 18. Full weekend passes ($35 for adults, $30 for youth (18 and under), $30 for seniors (65 and older), as well as single session tickets ($20 for adults, $17 for youth/seniors), can be purchased online at FightingIllinois.com. Results will be available through StatBroadcast (direct links are available on the team's schedule page at GoAirForceFalcons.com). The two qualification sessions will be streamed live on ESPN+, while the championships will be air nationally on ESPN2.
Qualifying Session 1 | Friday, April 17 | 1:00 p.m. CT
No. 1 Oklahoma, No. 4 Nebraska, No. 5 Ohio State
No. 8 California, No. 9 Greenville, No. 12 Springfield
Individuals: William & Mary
Qualifying Session 2 | Friday, April 17 | 7:00 p.m. CT
No. 2 Michigan, No. 3 Stanford, No. 6 Penn State
No. 7 Illinois, No. 10 Navy, No. 11 Army West Point
Individuals: AIR FORCE, Simpson
Weekly Notebook | Meet Central | Watch | Results | Tickets
National Championships | Saturday, April 18 | 6:00 p.m. CT
Top-three teams from each qualifying session
Top-three all-arounders from each session, not on an advancing team
Top-three individuals on each event, not already qualified on a team or as an all-arounder
WHO TO WATCH
Air Force qualified seven Falcons to the NCAA Championships, with the group competing during the evening session on April 17 (a full list of events and rotations for the Falcons is below). Jared Fry will begin his all-around competition on the still rings and rotate through events with Illinois. Gopaul will join Fry and the Illini on the parallel bars, high bar and floor exercise, while Isaac Koo (vault, high bar) and Palmer Wright (parallel bars) will both compete with Stanford during their respective rotations. Jack Matlock (pommel horse; Navy) and Jack Thomas Foltyn (vault, parallel bars; Army West Point) will compete with their service academy counterparts on their events, while Sam Brown will join Michigan on the pommel horse.
Rotation 1 – Jack Matlock (pommel horse), Jared Fry (still rings), Isaac Koo (vault)
Rotation 2 – Jared Fry (vault), Palmer Wright (parallel bars)
Rotation 3 – Tai Gopaul (parallel bars), Jared Fry (parallel bars), Isaac Koo (high bar)
Rotation 4 – Sam Brown (pommel horse), Tai Gopaul (high bar), Jared Fry (high bar)
Rotation 5 – Tai Gopaul (floor exercise), Jared Fry (floor exercise), Jack Thomas Foltyn (vault)
Rotation 6 – Jared Fry (pommel horse), Jack Thomas Foltyn (parallel bars)
AIR FORCE IN THE RANKINGS
The Falcons posted a National Qualifying Average (NQA) of 306.425 to finish No. 14 in the final rankings of the 2026 campaign. Individually, Air Force has a pair of top-15 athletes on the pommel horse, with Sam Brown and Jack Matlock ranking ninth (13.863) and 11th (13.763), respectively, while Tai Gopaul is listed 14th on the high bar with a NQZ of 13.413.
HISTORY 101
A total of 15 Falcons have claimed All-America status at the NCAA Championships, including Denis Aurelius [2016 still rings], Garrett Braunton [2022 high bar], Tim Hess [1993 floor exercise], Terry Higgins [1955 parallel bars], Patrick Hoopes [2023 pommel horse, 2024 pommel horse, 2025 pommel horse], Joel Miller [1992 still rings], Doug Reynolds [1964 tumbling], Bill Ritter [1972 floor exercise], Greg Stine [2008 still rings, 2008 all-around], Lukas Texeira [2019 high bar], John Tomich [1973 vault], Erich Upton [2025 all-round], Arinn Wade [2016 pommel horse], Tim Wang [2014 pommel horse, 2016 pommel horse, 2017 parallel bars, 2017 all-around], and Jim Weaver [1962 trampoline].
HISTORY 201
Air Force has made 19 team appearances to the final site of the NCAA Gymnastics Championships [1961, 1962, 1963, 1964, 1970, 1972, 1973, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2022, 2023, 2024, 2025], with its highest finish [sixth] coming at the 1972 championship meet. The Falcons accounted for a program-record eight-straight team appearances at the NCAA Qualifier from 2011-18 and have posted Top 10 finishes in each of the last four seasons, including the program's highest finish [eighth] in 51 years at the 2023 championships.
MEET INFORMATION
The 2026 NCAA Men's Gymnastics Championships will take place at the State Fram Center on the University of Illinois campus in Champaign. Two qualifying sessions (1:00 p.m., 7:00 p.m. CT) will be held on Friday, April 17, while the team and individual event finals will take place at 6:00 p.m. (CT) on Saturday, April 18. Full weekend passes ($35 for adults, $30 for youth (18 and under), $30 for seniors (65 and older), as well as single session tickets ($20 for adults, $17 for youth/seniors), can be purchased online at FightingIllinois.com. Results will be available through StatBroadcast (direct links are available on the team's schedule page at GoAirForceFalcons.com). The two qualification sessions will be streamed live on ESPN+, while the championships will be air nationally on ESPN2.
Qualifying Session 1 | Friday, April 17 | 1:00 p.m. CT
No. 1 Oklahoma, No. 4 Nebraska, No. 5 Ohio State
No. 8 California, No. 9 Greenville, No. 12 Springfield
Individuals: William & Mary
Qualifying Session 2 | Friday, April 17 | 7:00 p.m. CT
No. 2 Michigan, No. 3 Stanford, No. 6 Penn State
No. 7 Illinois, No. 10 Navy, No. 11 Army West Point
Individuals: AIR FORCE, Simpson
Weekly Notebook | Meet Central | Watch | Results | Tickets
National Championships | Saturday, April 18 | 6:00 p.m. CT
Top-three teams from each qualifying session
Top-three all-arounders from each session, not on an advancing team
Top-three individuals on each event, not already qualified on a team or as an all-arounder
WHO TO WATCH
Air Force qualified seven Falcons to the NCAA Championships, with the group competing during the evening session on April 17 (a full list of events and rotations for the Falcons is below). Jared Fry will begin his all-around competition on the still rings and rotate through events with Illinois. Gopaul will join Fry and the Illini on the parallel bars, high bar and floor exercise, while Isaac Koo (vault, high bar) and Palmer Wright (parallel bars) will both compete with Stanford during their respective rotations. Jack Matlock (pommel horse; Navy) and Jack Thomas Foltyn (vault, parallel bars; Army West Point) will compete with their service academy counterparts on their events, while Sam Brown will join Michigan on the pommel horse.
Rotation 1 – Jack Matlock (pommel horse), Jared Fry (still rings), Isaac Koo (vault)
Rotation 2 – Jared Fry (vault), Palmer Wright (parallel bars)
Rotation 3 – Tai Gopaul (parallel bars), Jared Fry (parallel bars), Isaac Koo (high bar)
Rotation 4 – Sam Brown (pommel horse), Tai Gopaul (high bar), Jared Fry (high bar)
Rotation 5 – Tai Gopaul (floor exercise), Jared Fry (floor exercise), Jack Thomas Foltyn (vault)
Rotation 6 – Jared Fry (pommel horse), Jack Thomas Foltyn (parallel bars)
AIR FORCE IN THE RANKINGS
The Falcons posted a National Qualifying Average (NQA) of 306.425 to finish No. 14 in the final rankings of the 2026 campaign. Individually, Air Force has a pair of top-15 athletes on the pommel horse, with Sam Brown and Jack Matlock ranking ninth (13.863) and 11th (13.763), respectively, while Tai Gopaul is listed 14th on the high bar with a NQZ of 13.413.
HISTORY 101
A total of 15 Falcons have claimed All-America status at the NCAA Championships, including Denis Aurelius [2016 still rings], Garrett Braunton [2022 high bar], Tim Hess [1993 floor exercise], Terry Higgins [1955 parallel bars], Patrick Hoopes [2023 pommel horse, 2024 pommel horse, 2025 pommel horse], Joel Miller [1992 still rings], Doug Reynolds [1964 tumbling], Bill Ritter [1972 floor exercise], Greg Stine [2008 still rings, 2008 all-around], Lukas Texeira [2019 high bar], John Tomich [1973 vault], Erich Upton [2025 all-round], Arinn Wade [2016 pommel horse], Tim Wang [2014 pommel horse, 2016 pommel horse, 2017 parallel bars, 2017 all-around], and Jim Weaver [1962 trampoline].
HISTORY 201
Air Force has made 19 team appearances to the final site of the NCAA Gymnastics Championships [1961, 1962, 1963, 1964, 1970, 1972, 1973, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2022, 2023, 2024, 2025], with its highest finish [sixth] coming at the 1972 championship meet. The Falcons accounted for a program-record eight-straight team appearances at the NCAA Qualifier from 2011-18 and have posted Top 10 finishes in each of the last four seasons, including the program's highest finish [eighth] in 51 years at the 2023 championships.
Players Mentioned
PH
/ Men's Gymnastics
PH, SR, V, PB, HB
/ Men's Gymnastics
FX, PH, SR, V, PB, HB
/ Men's Gymnastics
FX, SR, PB, HB
/ Men's Gymnastics
PH, PB
/ Men's Gymnastics
FX, PH, SR, V, PB, HB
/ Men's Gymnastics
PH
/ Men's Gymnastics
FX, PH, SR, V, PB, HB
/ Men's Gymnastics
PB
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