@fullname - Men's Gymnastics - Air Force Academy Athletics

Photo by: Eric Bronson, Michigan Photography

Photo by: Ray Bahner

Photo by: Randall Deppensmith

Photo by: Justin Pacheco

Photo by: Trevor Cokley

Erich Upton

Class:
Senior
Events:
FX, PH, SR, V, PB, HB
Hometown:
Houston, Texas
High School:
Connections Academy Houston
Height:
5-8
Club Team:
Iron Cross Gymnastics

JUNIOR YEAR | 2024: Earned Regular Season All-America honors in the all-around from the College Gymnastics Association…USAG champion in the all-around…two-time USAG All-American…NCAA finalist in the all-around for the second-straight year…third-straight season of competing in every meet…tallied a career-high 80.531 in the all-around during the NCAA National Qualifier…finished 10th in the finals with a 79.933…claimed a top-six finish in the vault (14.250) for second-straight USAG All-America honor in that event…scored a career-best score of 14.800 to win the vault against Simpson…also finished first on the high bar and second on the parallel bars at that meet…picked up first-place finishes on the floor exercise (career-best 14.500), vault, parallel bars and all-around at the All-Academy Championships.

SOPHOMORE YEAR | 2023: Two-time USAG champion (vault, parallel bars)…four-time USAG All-American…NCAA finalist in the all-around…two-time all-conference honoree (parallel bars, all-around)…competed in every meet for the second-straight year…tallied a career-high all-around score of 80.350 to finish third at the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation Championships…placed 14th in that event at the NCAA Championships…won the vault and parallel bars at the USAG Collegiate Nationals, while finishing second on the still rings and fifth on the floor exercise to garner USAG All-America honors in all four events...posted a personal-best 14.700 to finish second on the vault in the triangular meet with Navy and Stanford…won the floor exercise (career-best 14.200) and parallel bars at the All-Academy Championships…also won the floor in a triangular against Army West Point and California, while winning the vault in a tri-meet with Illinois and Oklahoma…also improved career-best scores on the still rings (13.450), parallel bars (14.200) and high bar (13.550) during the regular season.

FRESHMAN YEAR | 2022: USAG All-American…competed in every meet, including five as an all-arounder…tallied career-best marks on the floor exercise (14.100), still rings (13.200), high bar (13.050) and all-around (78.35) during a triangular meet with Army West Point and Nebraska…matched that floor score the following week against Navy and Illinois…also posted personal-best marks on the pommel horse (12.800) and vault (14.550) during that tri-meet, while picking up a top-three finish on the vault (third)…added a personal-best 13.500 on the parallel bars at the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation Championships…finished third in the all-around (77.700) at the USAG Collegiate Nationals to garner USAG All-America status.

BEFORE USAFA: Graduated from Connections Academy Houston…graduated with honors and a 4.28 GPA…ranked within the top seven-percent of graduating class…received the Outstanding Student award as a senior…competed at the club level for Iron Cross Gymnastics…coached by Dakota Qualls and Nick Ngo…advanced to the USA Championships as a senior…qualified for nationals every year since 2012…named to the Region 3 Elite team seven times (2013-19)…Level 9 Junior Elite national champion on the vault as a 14 year old…finished fifth on that event at the Level 10 Junior Elite meet as a 16 year old…placed within the nation’s top seven on the floor exercise (third), vault (fourth), high bar (fifth) and parallel bars (seventh) at the Level 10 Junior Elites the following year.

PERSONAL: Full name is Erich Anthony Upton…son of Anthony and Stacey Upton…has two younger sisters…majoring in biology…currently serving as an Athletics Officer…hobbies include rock climbing, fishing, and video games…first person in family to go into the military…has lived in Texas his whole life…favorite event is the floor exercise…member of Cadet Squadron 38.