Air Force Academy recognizes athletic Top 6 Award winners, MVPs at Graduation Awards Ceremony
5/26/2026 10:06:00 AM | General
The Air Force Academy recognized several cadet-athletes for their accomplishments during the 2025-26 season today during the Graduation Awards Ceremony in Clune Arena. Senior Texas Tanner (track and field) earned male most valuable athlete honors while junior gymnast Maggie Slife claimed women's MVP honors. Senior lacrosse All-American Cole Cunningham was named scholar-athlete while senior boxer Elise Bell earned the athletic leadership award. Senior hockey All-American Chris Hedden earned the outstanding athletic achievement award and senior women's basketball all-time leading scorer Milahnie Perry earned the athletic excellence award.
A recap of the athletics award winners and most valuable player awards follows.
Top 6 Award Winners
Male MVP: [as of May 21] Senior Texas Tanner, the current American Collegiate Record Holder in the discus (228'2") and hammer (258'9") throws heading into this week's NCAA Outdoor Championships, is having another historic season for Air Force in the throwing circle. Tanner, the NCAA leader in his two main outdoor events – marks that are No. 2 all-time in the NCAA, recently swept the Mountain West discus and hammer titles for the third-straight year. Tanner, who holds the Service Academy Records in all five of his events over the indoor and outdoor seasons, is the Mountain West Record Holder in two and tallied eight conference titles during his career. This season also saw Tanner become the first Falcon to earn the USTFCCCA National Athlete of the Week and, most recently, the first service academy athlete to be named to The Bowerman Watch List.
Female MVP: Junior Maggie Slife became the first-ever gymnast to represent the Air Force Academy at the NCAA National Championships. Slife, the repeat Mountain West Gymnast of the Year, ended the Falcons' 2026 regular season as the top-ranked gymnast in the Mountain West across all four events and as the highest-ranked non-Power Four vault and bars gymnast in the country. Slife broke the MW all-around record three times in 2026 and broke the MW record on both bars and balance beam, scoring the league's first 9.975s in both events. In 15 of 16 competitions, Slife posted top 10 Mountain West record all-around scores and 16 total top 10 conference records on individual events.
Scholar-Athlete: Senior Cole Cunningham, a USA Lacrosse and USILA All-America Honorable Mention, was instrumental in leading Air Force to its third-straight share of the ASUN regular season title. Cunningham, a 2026 all-ASUN first-team selection, led the Falcons with 75 ground balls and 25 caused turnovers, ranking fifth in the ASUN in both categories. At the conclusion of his playing career at the Academy, Cunnigham has earned All-America, ASUN Conference Specialist of the Year, two First-Team ASUN All-Conference honors, two Academic All-Conference honors, CSC Academic All-America honors and two conference Player of the Week honors. Cunningham has a 3.9 grade point average and ranks No. 1 in the management department and 47th overall in the class of 2026.
Athletic Leadership: Senior team captain Elise Bell was a two-time national champion for the Falcons, winning back-to-back titles at 132 pounds and helping a young women's program to back-to-back team titles – the first two women's NCBA team championships in Air Force history. Bell served as team captain this season and was a part of the Air Force Academy RUF leadership team (campus ministry).
Outstanding Athletic Achievement: Senior Chris Hedden became just the fifth Falcon hockey player to earn All-America honors as he was named to the CCM/AHCA (American Hockey Coaches Association) East All-America Second Team. The Atlantic Hockey America Defenseman of the Year and a first-team all-AHA selection, Hedden led the team with 12 goals and 34 points as a senior. Hedden's 12 goals tied for the second-most in the nation for a defenseman and his 34 points tied for third in the nation among all blueliners. The native of Kalamazoo, Mich., was a five-time AHA Defenseman of the Week as a senior and was the AHA and HCA (national) Defenseman of the Month for November. Hedden finished his career with 108 points (34-74-108) in 149 games. He is the first Falcon defenseman to score 100 or more career points since Beau Bilek in 1991-95.
Athletic Excellence: Senior Milahnie Perry closed 2025-26 as the all-time leading scorer in Air Force history with 1,838 career points, while adding all-time records for most points scored in a season, most baskets made in a season, career free throws made and career games played. Scoring 92 points in the 2026 Mountain West Championships, Perry became the all-time Mountain West record holder for points scored by a single player in the conference tournament and became Air Force's first-ever MW Tournament MVP. As an all-Mountain West honoree in 2026, Perry became the second Falcon ever to secure multiple career all-MW honors. The senior scored double digits in 27 games and 20-plus in 13 contests.
Most Valuable Players
Men's Cross Country: Senior Jayden Nats captured all-conference and all-region honors during an impressive senior season that concluded with a top 50 finish at the NCAA Cross Country Championships. Nats, who placed 10th at the Mountain West Championships and third at the NCAA Mountain Regional, led the Falcons to top-five team finishes at the conference (third) and regional (fifth) meets, as well as a top 20 finish at the NCAA Championships.
Women's Cross Country: Senior India Jones had a stellar senior campaign – earning all-conference and all-region honors, while placing within the top half of the national field at the NCAA Cross Country Championships. Jones, who competed in every race for the Falcons, placed sixth at the Mountain West Championships and 11th at the NCAA Mountain Regional – finishes that led Air Force to third at the conference meet and sixth at the regional meet.
Football Defensive MVP: Senior nose guard Payton Zdroik was a second-team all-Mountain West selection this season. He had 36 total tackles, six tackles for loss and a sack. Zdroik finished his career ranked eighth in program history with 14 sacks and 11th in quarterback sack yardage with 78. He was signed by the LA Rams following the NFL draft as a free agent.
Most Valuable Football Lineman/Special Teams: Senior center Costen Cooley was a first-team all-Mountain West selection and was a member of the Rimington Award watch list as the nation's top center. Cooley anchored an offensive line that helped Air Force lead the conference in rushing (261.4), passing efficiency (165.99), yards per completion (17.96), fewest penalties per game (3.58) and fewest penalty yards per game (31.25).
Most Valuable Offensive Football Player: Senior tight end Bruin Fleischmann had one of the best seasons in program history for a tight end, finishing second on the team with 21 catches for 370 yards and a team-best six touchdowns, which ranked fifth in the conference. He caught a pass in a team-best 11 games, including 10 straight which is the longest streak since 2015 and longest-ever by a tight end. He had a career-best six catches for 166 yards and a touchdown vs. Navy to earn the John Mackey Tight End of the Week award.
Most Valuable Football Player: Senior receiver Cade Harris led the Falcons in receiving with 35 catches for 584 yards and two touchdowns. He averaged 16.7 yards per reception with a long of 74 yards, the longest by a Falcon this season. Harris ranked fourth in the Mountain West in yards per reception and ninth in all-purpose yards with an 88.75 mark. His 35 catches this season are the most by a Falcon since 2016.
Men's Soccer: Freshman Tucker Kern was an instrumental presence in the men's soccer midfield over the course of the entire season. Starting in all 16 contests, Kern registered 1,370 minutes of playing time for fourth most on the team. He scored his first collegiate goal for matches into the season and took a personal best five shots against Navy.
Women's Soccer: Sophomore Annika Jost helped the Falcons to the most prosperous season in recent history with eight wins overall and six in conference play, marking Air Force's best regular season finish since 1995. The Temecula, Calif., native became just the second Falcon to earn Mountain West Offensive Player of the Year honors in program history, and the 10th women's athlete at the Academy to earn a conference player of the year award.
Water Polo: Junior Tom Leggett led the nation and set school-records for the second-straight season, with 148 goals and 198 points. Leggett earned ACWPC All-America honors (second team) for the third time. Leggett earned first-team All-WCC honors for the third straight season. With one more season to play, he also set the school career records for goals (405) and points (522).
Volleyball: Jordan Suan capped her senior year by becoming Air Force's Division I digs leader in the season finale, finishing her stellar four-year libero career with 1,341 digs. Suan helped the Falcons to a 15-15 record and a 7-11 mark in Mountain West play, amassing 423 digs and a 3.71 digs-per-set average. She guided Air Force to tournaments titles at the Amy Svoboda Memorial Classic and the Kristen Dickmann Invitational – with the latter including a win over Navy.
Men's Basketball: Freshman Kam Sanders had a historic rookie campaign for the Falcons, leading the team in scoring with 12.5 points per game and in assists with 3.8 assists per game. His 400 points scored and 121 assists are both Academy freshman records. In addition to his freshmen records, Sanders made all 15 free throw attempts against South Dakota on Nov. 29, 2025, setting a new school record for most consecutive free throws made in a game. Sanders is just the second freshman in program history to earn team MVP honors and the first since 1987.
Women's Basketball: Air Force's all-time leader in points scored and career games played, senior Milahnie Perry was the tip of the spear for the 2025-26 Falcons. The All-MW honoree and eventual Mountain West Tournament MVP led Air Force on a historic postseason run that resulted in the Falcons earning their first championship title bid. Scoring 92 points in the tournament and leading Air Force to a historic tournament runner-up finish, Perry was named MW Championship MVP (a program first) and now holds the single season record for points scored in the conference tournament. Averaging a league-best 17.5 points per game, Perry scored double digits in 27 games and 20-plus in 13 contests.
Men's Boxing: Sophomore Juneau Kim captured his first national title in 2026, winning the 125-pound championship at the National Collegiate Boxing Association (NCBA) Championships. Kim, who helped Air Force to a third-place finish in the team standings, marked the 44th-straigth year that the men had claimed at least one champion belt in the men's bracket.
Women's Boxing: Sophomore Maya Lee successfully defended her 147-pound national title – and helped Air Force to its second-straight team championship – at the 2026 National Collegiate Boxing Association Championships. Lee, who defeated a contender from Navy in the championship bout of the NCBA finals, also repeated as the regional champion.
Men's Fencing: Senior Jack Griffith posted a 93-35 record in men's foil, leading the team in bout victories. Griffith was the 2026 MPSF Men's Fencer of the Year, becoming the first ever two-time winner. Griffith was the NCAA West Regional Champion in men's foil and earned his second All-American honor at the NCAA Championships, where he finished 11th.
Women's Fencing: Junior Christina Watrall posted a 44-36 record in women's epee, ranking second on the team in wins. Watrall was the NCAA West Regional Champion in women's epee for the third-straight season. In addition, Watrall captured the MPSF women's epee gold medal for the second straight season, earning first-team All-MPSF women's fencing. Watrall qualified for the NCAA's for the third-straight season.
Hockey: Senior Chris Hedden became just the fifth Falcon hockey player to earn All-America honors as he was named to the CCM/AHCA (American Hockey Coaches Association) East All-America Second Team. The Atlantic Hockey America Defenseman of the Year and a first-team all-AHA selection, Hedden led the team with 12 goals and 34 points as a senior. Hedden's 12 goals tied for the second-most in the nation for a defenseman and his 34 points tied for third in the nation among all blueliners.
Rifle: Sophomore Lily Wytko was named an honorable mention All-American in air rifle from the Collegiate Rifle Coaches Association. A native of Columbia, Md., Wytko had a season air rifle average of 595.7 this season. She shot a 596 at the NCAA Qualifier and then a 595 at the NCAA Championships to place 20th in the nation. A second-team All-American in air rifle as a freshman, her 598 at UTEP, Jan. 24, matched her career high and tied as the 11th best score in school history. Wytko spent the season recovering from knee surgery in August of 2025 and bounced back to earn a gold medal in air rifle at the 2025 USA Shooting Winter Air Gun championships in December.
Men's Swimming: Senior James Winterfield recorded six event wins and 16 podium finishes, as well as scored the third-most points for Air Force with 805.05. At the MPSF Championships, the Charleston, S.C., native captured the 100-fly title with a time of 46.06, breaking the Academy, MPSF, and pool records while securing NCAA qualification. He also posted a qualifying time of 1:43.99 in the 200 IM, resetting his own program record. Winterfield was one of just two Falcons to represent the Academy at the 2026 NCAA Men's Swimming and Diving National Championships, where he made his national debut.
Women's Swimming: Sophomore Lily Larson totaled a team-high nine first-place finishes, including six victories in the 200 free, where she also achieved three CSCAA B standards. At the Mountain West Championships, Larson broke the Academy record in the 100 free with a time of 49.67, surpassing the previous mark set in 2018, and finished 10th overall. She also played a key role in rewriting the record book as part of Air Force's record-breaking 400 free relay (3:20.43), 800 free relay (7:13.52), and 400 medley relay (3:39.09) teams, while helping set a Seattle U pool record in the 400 free relay (3:26.05).
Men's Diving: Freshman Lucas Gerten compiled seven top-finishes, three on the 3-meter and four on the 1-meter, while totaling 15 podium placements on the year. Most notably, the St. Paul, Minn., native broke all three Academy records in his first season as a Falcon, beginning with the 1-meter record at 360.30 to place first against Grand Canyon. While at the MPSF Championships, Gerten rewrote the 3-meter (380.40) and platform (384.45) records to place second in both events. The freshman also placed third on the 1-meter to collect a trio of podium finishes to help the Falcons secure the MPSF Championship.
Women's Diving: Freshman standout Lulu Semakula claimed three first-place finishes on the 1-meter springboard and posted an NCAA Zone qualifying score during the year. On the 3-meter, she earned a trio of podium finishes and scored two NCAA qualifications. At the Mountain West Championships, Semakula delivered career-best performances across all three events, placing 11th on the 1-meter (274.95), ninth on the 3-meter (286.65), and 11th on platform (229.40).
Men's Gymnastics: Senior Tai Gopaul had a strong season, capturing the high bar title at the USAG Collegiate Nationals and matching his own Air Force Record in that event with a 13.600 at Stanford. Gopaul, who now holds the top four high bar scores in program history, secured all-conference honors on his signature event for the third time in as many years, captured his first MPSF Gymnast of the Week award, and advanced to his third-straight NCAA National Qualifier.
Women's Gymnastics: Junior Maggie Slife, the back-to-back Mountain West Gymnast of the Year, was the top gymnast on one of the best Air Force squads assembled in many decades of Falcon women's gymnastics. Slife led the team in a season that saw the Falcons tally six team scores which now stand as top-10 all time finishes and earn an Air Force and Mountain West record 197.150. Behind Slife's all-time season, the Falcons qualified for their first NCAA regional since 2002 and just Air Force's third ever in the program's Division I era. Slife was 10-time Mountain West Gymnast of the Week in 2026 and was awarded 29 Specialist of the Week honors – an award bestowed to the top weekly scorer in each event.
Wrestling: Carter Nogle became Air Force's 10th All-American and just the second sophomore since 1962. Nogle, finishing fifth at the NCAA Championships and third at the Big 12 Championships, led the Falcons with 27 wins on the season. He was the team leader with 46 dual points and boasted a 10-3 record in dual action. He beat nine nationally ranked opponents and earned NWCA Scholar All-American honors on the way.
Baseball: Freshman Wyatt Hanoian earned Mountain West Freshman of the Year honors and becoming the Falcons' first recipient of the award since Paul Skenes in 2021 and just the third in program history.
The Costa Mesa, Calif., paced the Falcons with a .351 batting average for most of the season while totaling 45 runs, 60 hits and 45 RBIs. He also led the team with a .498 on-base percentage, fueled in part by drawing more hit-by-pitches than any Falcon this year.
Golf: Junior Eli Huntington led the Falcons with a season stroke average of 74.70. A native of Camas, Wash., he was one of three Falcons to play all 33 rounds and was the top Falcon in four tournaments this season. At the Loyola Intercollegiate, he shot a season-best 216 (even). Huntington's 67 (-4) int eh second round of the Bandon Dunes Championship was a career best and the best round by a Falcon all season.
Lacrosse: Senior Caelan Driggs was instrumental in leading Air Force to its third-straight share of the ASUN regular season title. Driggs, a 2026 all-ASUN first-team selection, led the Falcons in scoring with 43 goals and 11 assists for 54 points. Driggs had eight hat tricks on the campaign highlighted by a career-best eight goal performance. He averaged 4.4 goals per game in conference games and 2.87 goals per game across the season, ranking 10th in the NCAA. His six individual man-up goals are 11th most in the NCAA. He concludes his career at the Academy as the program's all-time leading goal scorer (140), two All-Conference selections and three Player of the Week honors.
Men's Tennis: Senior Jack Brown was named Air Force men's tennis MVP. Brown led Air Force in singles win percentage in Mountain West play, going 3-1. His 31 total wins, in addition to 16 combined singles and 15 doubles wins ranked third on the team. Brown graduates as a two-time All-MW doubles selection, with 94 career wins.
Women's Tennis: C1C Abby Cotuna combined for an 11-11 record in singles and 8-14 in doubles in her senior season. Cotuna opened the fall stretch with a 4-0 start, winning the Charlie singles bracket in the 2025 ITA Bedford Cup in the Mountains. Cotuna ranked as high as 64th in the ITA national doubles rankings with partner Sofia Mavor, and was coined Mountain West Player of the Week for scoring doubles and singles victories against Army on Feb. 14.
Men's Track and Field MVP: [as of May 21] Senior Texas Tanner, the current American Collegiate Record Holder in the discus (228'2") and hammer (258'9") throws heading into this week's NCAA Outdoor Championships, is having another historic season for Air Force in the throwing circle. Tanner, the NCAA leader in his two main outdoor events – marks that are No. 2 all-time in the NCAA, recently swept the Mountain West discus and hammer titles for the third-straight year. Tanner, who holds the Service Academy Records in all five of his events over the indoor and outdoor seasons, is the Mountain West Record Holder in two and tallied eight conference titles during his career. This season also saw Tanner become the first Falcon to earn the USTFCCCA National Athlete of the Week and, most recently, the first service academy athlete to be named to The Bowerman Watch List.
Men's Track and Field Outstanding Competitor: [as of May 21] Jayden Nats, who will be racing in the national semifinal of the 10,000-meter run on May 27, is having a stellar senior. The senior recorded the fastest 10K time by any service academy runner on April 3, when he clocked an All-Academy Record time of 27:59.31 at the Stanford Invitational – a time that is ranked No. 11 in the NCAA this season. Indoors, Nats clocked the second-fastest 3000-meter run in USAFA history during an all-conference performance at the Mountain West Indoor Championships and won the 5000-meter run at the Husky Classic.
Women's Track and Field MVP: [as of May 21] Morgan Glaser is in the midst of a stellar sophomore season, having set Air Force Records in the outdoor high jump, pentathlon and heptathlon this year. Glaser, who captured the conference high jump title at the recent Mountain West Outdoor Championships and claimed all-MW honors in that event during both the indoor and outdoor seasons, became the second jumper in program history to clear six feet in the high jump. She also made her debut in the multis this year, becoming the first Falcon to break 5000 points in the heptathlon. An NCAA Qualifier in the high jump, Glaser will be back in action this weekend, when she competes in the national semifinal on May 30.
Women's Track and Field Outstanding Competitor: [as of May 21] Junior Cam Bodine captured all-Mountain West honors in the 800-meter run during a third-place finish at the MW Indoor Championships and registered the third-fastest time in Air Force history in that event at the Husky Classic. Outdoors, Bodine posted Air Force Top 5 marks in the 800-merer (No. 2) and 1500-meter (No. 5) events, while anchoring the Falcons to a program-record finish in the 4x800-meter relay at Drake. Although injury kept her out of MW Outdoors, Bodine will be back on the track this week for the prelims of the NCAA Championships.
A recap of the athletics award winners and most valuable player awards follows.
Top 6 Award Winners
Male MVP: [as of May 21] Senior Texas Tanner, the current American Collegiate Record Holder in the discus (228'2") and hammer (258'9") throws heading into this week's NCAA Outdoor Championships, is having another historic season for Air Force in the throwing circle. Tanner, the NCAA leader in his two main outdoor events – marks that are No. 2 all-time in the NCAA, recently swept the Mountain West discus and hammer titles for the third-straight year. Tanner, who holds the Service Academy Records in all five of his events over the indoor and outdoor seasons, is the Mountain West Record Holder in two and tallied eight conference titles during his career. This season also saw Tanner become the first Falcon to earn the USTFCCCA National Athlete of the Week and, most recently, the first service academy athlete to be named to The Bowerman Watch List.
Female MVP: Junior Maggie Slife became the first-ever gymnast to represent the Air Force Academy at the NCAA National Championships. Slife, the repeat Mountain West Gymnast of the Year, ended the Falcons' 2026 regular season as the top-ranked gymnast in the Mountain West across all four events and as the highest-ranked non-Power Four vault and bars gymnast in the country. Slife broke the MW all-around record three times in 2026 and broke the MW record on both bars and balance beam, scoring the league's first 9.975s in both events. In 15 of 16 competitions, Slife posted top 10 Mountain West record all-around scores and 16 total top 10 conference records on individual events.
Scholar-Athlete: Senior Cole Cunningham, a USA Lacrosse and USILA All-America Honorable Mention, was instrumental in leading Air Force to its third-straight share of the ASUN regular season title. Cunningham, a 2026 all-ASUN first-team selection, led the Falcons with 75 ground balls and 25 caused turnovers, ranking fifth in the ASUN in both categories. At the conclusion of his playing career at the Academy, Cunnigham has earned All-America, ASUN Conference Specialist of the Year, two First-Team ASUN All-Conference honors, two Academic All-Conference honors, CSC Academic All-America honors and two conference Player of the Week honors. Cunningham has a 3.9 grade point average and ranks No. 1 in the management department and 47th overall in the class of 2026.
Athletic Leadership: Senior team captain Elise Bell was a two-time national champion for the Falcons, winning back-to-back titles at 132 pounds and helping a young women's program to back-to-back team titles – the first two women's NCBA team championships in Air Force history. Bell served as team captain this season and was a part of the Air Force Academy RUF leadership team (campus ministry).
Outstanding Athletic Achievement: Senior Chris Hedden became just the fifth Falcon hockey player to earn All-America honors as he was named to the CCM/AHCA (American Hockey Coaches Association) East All-America Second Team. The Atlantic Hockey America Defenseman of the Year and a first-team all-AHA selection, Hedden led the team with 12 goals and 34 points as a senior. Hedden's 12 goals tied for the second-most in the nation for a defenseman and his 34 points tied for third in the nation among all blueliners. The native of Kalamazoo, Mich., was a five-time AHA Defenseman of the Week as a senior and was the AHA and HCA (national) Defenseman of the Month for November. Hedden finished his career with 108 points (34-74-108) in 149 games. He is the first Falcon defenseman to score 100 or more career points since Beau Bilek in 1991-95.
Athletic Excellence: Senior Milahnie Perry closed 2025-26 as the all-time leading scorer in Air Force history with 1,838 career points, while adding all-time records for most points scored in a season, most baskets made in a season, career free throws made and career games played. Scoring 92 points in the 2026 Mountain West Championships, Perry became the all-time Mountain West record holder for points scored by a single player in the conference tournament and became Air Force's first-ever MW Tournament MVP. As an all-Mountain West honoree in 2026, Perry became the second Falcon ever to secure multiple career all-MW honors. The senior scored double digits in 27 games and 20-plus in 13 contests.
Most Valuable Players
Men's Cross Country: Senior Jayden Nats captured all-conference and all-region honors during an impressive senior season that concluded with a top 50 finish at the NCAA Cross Country Championships. Nats, who placed 10th at the Mountain West Championships and third at the NCAA Mountain Regional, led the Falcons to top-five team finishes at the conference (third) and regional (fifth) meets, as well as a top 20 finish at the NCAA Championships.
Women's Cross Country: Senior India Jones had a stellar senior campaign – earning all-conference and all-region honors, while placing within the top half of the national field at the NCAA Cross Country Championships. Jones, who competed in every race for the Falcons, placed sixth at the Mountain West Championships and 11th at the NCAA Mountain Regional – finishes that led Air Force to third at the conference meet and sixth at the regional meet.
Football Defensive MVP: Senior nose guard Payton Zdroik was a second-team all-Mountain West selection this season. He had 36 total tackles, six tackles for loss and a sack. Zdroik finished his career ranked eighth in program history with 14 sacks and 11th in quarterback sack yardage with 78. He was signed by the LA Rams following the NFL draft as a free agent.
Most Valuable Football Lineman/Special Teams: Senior center Costen Cooley was a first-team all-Mountain West selection and was a member of the Rimington Award watch list as the nation's top center. Cooley anchored an offensive line that helped Air Force lead the conference in rushing (261.4), passing efficiency (165.99), yards per completion (17.96), fewest penalties per game (3.58) and fewest penalty yards per game (31.25).
Most Valuable Offensive Football Player: Senior tight end Bruin Fleischmann had one of the best seasons in program history for a tight end, finishing second on the team with 21 catches for 370 yards and a team-best six touchdowns, which ranked fifth in the conference. He caught a pass in a team-best 11 games, including 10 straight which is the longest streak since 2015 and longest-ever by a tight end. He had a career-best six catches for 166 yards and a touchdown vs. Navy to earn the John Mackey Tight End of the Week award.
Most Valuable Football Player: Senior receiver Cade Harris led the Falcons in receiving with 35 catches for 584 yards and two touchdowns. He averaged 16.7 yards per reception with a long of 74 yards, the longest by a Falcon this season. Harris ranked fourth in the Mountain West in yards per reception and ninth in all-purpose yards with an 88.75 mark. His 35 catches this season are the most by a Falcon since 2016.
Men's Soccer: Freshman Tucker Kern was an instrumental presence in the men's soccer midfield over the course of the entire season. Starting in all 16 contests, Kern registered 1,370 minutes of playing time for fourth most on the team. He scored his first collegiate goal for matches into the season and took a personal best five shots against Navy.
Women's Soccer: Sophomore Annika Jost helped the Falcons to the most prosperous season in recent history with eight wins overall and six in conference play, marking Air Force's best regular season finish since 1995. The Temecula, Calif., native became just the second Falcon to earn Mountain West Offensive Player of the Year honors in program history, and the 10th women's athlete at the Academy to earn a conference player of the year award.
Water Polo: Junior Tom Leggett led the nation and set school-records for the second-straight season, with 148 goals and 198 points. Leggett earned ACWPC All-America honors (second team) for the third time. Leggett earned first-team All-WCC honors for the third straight season. With one more season to play, he also set the school career records for goals (405) and points (522).
Volleyball: Jordan Suan capped her senior year by becoming Air Force's Division I digs leader in the season finale, finishing her stellar four-year libero career with 1,341 digs. Suan helped the Falcons to a 15-15 record and a 7-11 mark in Mountain West play, amassing 423 digs and a 3.71 digs-per-set average. She guided Air Force to tournaments titles at the Amy Svoboda Memorial Classic and the Kristen Dickmann Invitational – with the latter including a win over Navy.
Men's Basketball: Freshman Kam Sanders had a historic rookie campaign for the Falcons, leading the team in scoring with 12.5 points per game and in assists with 3.8 assists per game. His 400 points scored and 121 assists are both Academy freshman records. In addition to his freshmen records, Sanders made all 15 free throw attempts against South Dakota on Nov. 29, 2025, setting a new school record for most consecutive free throws made in a game. Sanders is just the second freshman in program history to earn team MVP honors and the first since 1987.
Women's Basketball: Air Force's all-time leader in points scored and career games played, senior Milahnie Perry was the tip of the spear for the 2025-26 Falcons. The All-MW honoree and eventual Mountain West Tournament MVP led Air Force on a historic postseason run that resulted in the Falcons earning their first championship title bid. Scoring 92 points in the tournament and leading Air Force to a historic tournament runner-up finish, Perry was named MW Championship MVP (a program first) and now holds the single season record for points scored in the conference tournament. Averaging a league-best 17.5 points per game, Perry scored double digits in 27 games and 20-plus in 13 contests.
Men's Boxing: Sophomore Juneau Kim captured his first national title in 2026, winning the 125-pound championship at the National Collegiate Boxing Association (NCBA) Championships. Kim, who helped Air Force to a third-place finish in the team standings, marked the 44th-straigth year that the men had claimed at least one champion belt in the men's bracket.
Women's Boxing: Sophomore Maya Lee successfully defended her 147-pound national title – and helped Air Force to its second-straight team championship – at the 2026 National Collegiate Boxing Association Championships. Lee, who defeated a contender from Navy in the championship bout of the NCBA finals, also repeated as the regional champion.
Men's Fencing: Senior Jack Griffith posted a 93-35 record in men's foil, leading the team in bout victories. Griffith was the 2026 MPSF Men's Fencer of the Year, becoming the first ever two-time winner. Griffith was the NCAA West Regional Champion in men's foil and earned his second All-American honor at the NCAA Championships, where he finished 11th.
Women's Fencing: Junior Christina Watrall posted a 44-36 record in women's epee, ranking second on the team in wins. Watrall was the NCAA West Regional Champion in women's epee for the third-straight season. In addition, Watrall captured the MPSF women's epee gold medal for the second straight season, earning first-team All-MPSF women's fencing. Watrall qualified for the NCAA's for the third-straight season.
Hockey: Senior Chris Hedden became just the fifth Falcon hockey player to earn All-America honors as he was named to the CCM/AHCA (American Hockey Coaches Association) East All-America Second Team. The Atlantic Hockey America Defenseman of the Year and a first-team all-AHA selection, Hedden led the team with 12 goals and 34 points as a senior. Hedden's 12 goals tied for the second-most in the nation for a defenseman and his 34 points tied for third in the nation among all blueliners.
Rifle: Sophomore Lily Wytko was named an honorable mention All-American in air rifle from the Collegiate Rifle Coaches Association. A native of Columbia, Md., Wytko had a season air rifle average of 595.7 this season. She shot a 596 at the NCAA Qualifier and then a 595 at the NCAA Championships to place 20th in the nation. A second-team All-American in air rifle as a freshman, her 598 at UTEP, Jan. 24, matched her career high and tied as the 11th best score in school history. Wytko spent the season recovering from knee surgery in August of 2025 and bounced back to earn a gold medal in air rifle at the 2025 USA Shooting Winter Air Gun championships in December.
Men's Swimming: Senior James Winterfield recorded six event wins and 16 podium finishes, as well as scored the third-most points for Air Force with 805.05. At the MPSF Championships, the Charleston, S.C., native captured the 100-fly title with a time of 46.06, breaking the Academy, MPSF, and pool records while securing NCAA qualification. He also posted a qualifying time of 1:43.99 in the 200 IM, resetting his own program record. Winterfield was one of just two Falcons to represent the Academy at the 2026 NCAA Men's Swimming and Diving National Championships, where he made his national debut.
Women's Swimming: Sophomore Lily Larson totaled a team-high nine first-place finishes, including six victories in the 200 free, where she also achieved three CSCAA B standards. At the Mountain West Championships, Larson broke the Academy record in the 100 free with a time of 49.67, surpassing the previous mark set in 2018, and finished 10th overall. She also played a key role in rewriting the record book as part of Air Force's record-breaking 400 free relay (3:20.43), 800 free relay (7:13.52), and 400 medley relay (3:39.09) teams, while helping set a Seattle U pool record in the 400 free relay (3:26.05).
Men's Diving: Freshman Lucas Gerten compiled seven top-finishes, three on the 3-meter and four on the 1-meter, while totaling 15 podium placements on the year. Most notably, the St. Paul, Minn., native broke all three Academy records in his first season as a Falcon, beginning with the 1-meter record at 360.30 to place first against Grand Canyon. While at the MPSF Championships, Gerten rewrote the 3-meter (380.40) and platform (384.45) records to place second in both events. The freshman also placed third on the 1-meter to collect a trio of podium finishes to help the Falcons secure the MPSF Championship.
Women's Diving: Freshman standout Lulu Semakula claimed three first-place finishes on the 1-meter springboard and posted an NCAA Zone qualifying score during the year. On the 3-meter, she earned a trio of podium finishes and scored two NCAA qualifications. At the Mountain West Championships, Semakula delivered career-best performances across all three events, placing 11th on the 1-meter (274.95), ninth on the 3-meter (286.65), and 11th on platform (229.40).
Men's Gymnastics: Senior Tai Gopaul had a strong season, capturing the high bar title at the USAG Collegiate Nationals and matching his own Air Force Record in that event with a 13.600 at Stanford. Gopaul, who now holds the top four high bar scores in program history, secured all-conference honors on his signature event for the third time in as many years, captured his first MPSF Gymnast of the Week award, and advanced to his third-straight NCAA National Qualifier.
Women's Gymnastics: Junior Maggie Slife, the back-to-back Mountain West Gymnast of the Year, was the top gymnast on one of the best Air Force squads assembled in many decades of Falcon women's gymnastics. Slife led the team in a season that saw the Falcons tally six team scores which now stand as top-10 all time finishes and earn an Air Force and Mountain West record 197.150. Behind Slife's all-time season, the Falcons qualified for their first NCAA regional since 2002 and just Air Force's third ever in the program's Division I era. Slife was 10-time Mountain West Gymnast of the Week in 2026 and was awarded 29 Specialist of the Week honors – an award bestowed to the top weekly scorer in each event.
Wrestling: Carter Nogle became Air Force's 10th All-American and just the second sophomore since 1962. Nogle, finishing fifth at the NCAA Championships and third at the Big 12 Championships, led the Falcons with 27 wins on the season. He was the team leader with 46 dual points and boasted a 10-3 record in dual action. He beat nine nationally ranked opponents and earned NWCA Scholar All-American honors on the way.
Baseball: Freshman Wyatt Hanoian earned Mountain West Freshman of the Year honors and becoming the Falcons' first recipient of the award since Paul Skenes in 2021 and just the third in program history.
The Costa Mesa, Calif., paced the Falcons with a .351 batting average for most of the season while totaling 45 runs, 60 hits and 45 RBIs. He also led the team with a .498 on-base percentage, fueled in part by drawing more hit-by-pitches than any Falcon this year.
Golf: Junior Eli Huntington led the Falcons with a season stroke average of 74.70. A native of Camas, Wash., he was one of three Falcons to play all 33 rounds and was the top Falcon in four tournaments this season. At the Loyola Intercollegiate, he shot a season-best 216 (even). Huntington's 67 (-4) int eh second round of the Bandon Dunes Championship was a career best and the best round by a Falcon all season.
Lacrosse: Senior Caelan Driggs was instrumental in leading Air Force to its third-straight share of the ASUN regular season title. Driggs, a 2026 all-ASUN first-team selection, led the Falcons in scoring with 43 goals and 11 assists for 54 points. Driggs had eight hat tricks on the campaign highlighted by a career-best eight goal performance. He averaged 4.4 goals per game in conference games and 2.87 goals per game across the season, ranking 10th in the NCAA. His six individual man-up goals are 11th most in the NCAA. He concludes his career at the Academy as the program's all-time leading goal scorer (140), two All-Conference selections and three Player of the Week honors.
Men's Tennis: Senior Jack Brown was named Air Force men's tennis MVP. Brown led Air Force in singles win percentage in Mountain West play, going 3-1. His 31 total wins, in addition to 16 combined singles and 15 doubles wins ranked third on the team. Brown graduates as a two-time All-MW doubles selection, with 94 career wins.
Women's Tennis: C1C Abby Cotuna combined for an 11-11 record in singles and 8-14 in doubles in her senior season. Cotuna opened the fall stretch with a 4-0 start, winning the Charlie singles bracket in the 2025 ITA Bedford Cup in the Mountains. Cotuna ranked as high as 64th in the ITA national doubles rankings with partner Sofia Mavor, and was coined Mountain West Player of the Week for scoring doubles and singles victories against Army on Feb. 14.
Men's Track and Field MVP: [as of May 21] Senior Texas Tanner, the current American Collegiate Record Holder in the discus (228'2") and hammer (258'9") throws heading into this week's NCAA Outdoor Championships, is having another historic season for Air Force in the throwing circle. Tanner, the NCAA leader in his two main outdoor events – marks that are No. 2 all-time in the NCAA, recently swept the Mountain West discus and hammer titles for the third-straight year. Tanner, who holds the Service Academy Records in all five of his events over the indoor and outdoor seasons, is the Mountain West Record Holder in two and tallied eight conference titles during his career. This season also saw Tanner become the first Falcon to earn the USTFCCCA National Athlete of the Week and, most recently, the first service academy athlete to be named to The Bowerman Watch List.
Men's Track and Field Outstanding Competitor: [as of May 21] Jayden Nats, who will be racing in the national semifinal of the 10,000-meter run on May 27, is having a stellar senior. The senior recorded the fastest 10K time by any service academy runner on April 3, when he clocked an All-Academy Record time of 27:59.31 at the Stanford Invitational – a time that is ranked No. 11 in the NCAA this season. Indoors, Nats clocked the second-fastest 3000-meter run in USAFA history during an all-conference performance at the Mountain West Indoor Championships and won the 5000-meter run at the Husky Classic.
Women's Track and Field MVP: [as of May 21] Morgan Glaser is in the midst of a stellar sophomore season, having set Air Force Records in the outdoor high jump, pentathlon and heptathlon this year. Glaser, who captured the conference high jump title at the recent Mountain West Outdoor Championships and claimed all-MW honors in that event during both the indoor and outdoor seasons, became the second jumper in program history to clear six feet in the high jump. She also made her debut in the multis this year, becoming the first Falcon to break 5000 points in the heptathlon. An NCAA Qualifier in the high jump, Glaser will be back in action this weekend, when she competes in the national semifinal on May 30.
Women's Track and Field Outstanding Competitor: [as of May 21] Junior Cam Bodine captured all-Mountain West honors in the 800-meter run during a third-place finish at the MW Indoor Championships and registered the third-fastest time in Air Force history in that event at the Husky Classic. Outdoors, Bodine posted Air Force Top 5 marks in the 800-merer (No. 2) and 1500-meter (No. 5) events, while anchoring the Falcons to a program-record finish in the 4x800-meter relay at Drake. Although injury kept her out of MW Outdoors, Bodine will be back on the track this week for the prelims of the NCAA Championships.
Wednesday, July 01
Monday, June 29
Tuesday, June 23
Tuesday, May 12
