The Air Force men’s gymnastics team is set to start its 2026 season by hosting the Rocky Mountain Open at Cadet West Gym on Saturday, January 17. This marks the 46th year the Academy has hosted the event, which will feature several leading collegiate programs and individual competitors.
Participating teams include Air Force, Arizona State, Nebraska, Oklahoma, and Stanford. Individual gymnasts from 5280 Gymnastics, California, Rocky Mountain Mavericks, Texas Dreams, and the Air Force World Class Athlete Program (WCAP) will also compete. The meet begins at 6:00 p.m. Mountain Time; doors open two hours earlier. Tickets are available through AFTickets.com. Fans can watch a live stream on Air Force Athletics’ YouTube page or follow live results via StatBroadcast.
Entry to the U.S. Air Force Academy for this event requires a base pass for those without a Department of Defense ID card. Spectators must request a pass online and present a valid driver’s license at the gate. Adults with approved passes may bring spectators under age 18.
Stanford enters the competition after defeating California last week with a score of 320.100-309.700—a result that currently leads NCAA men’s gymnastics.
During Saturday’s meet, Air Force will begin on floor exercise and rotate through Olympic order events. Academy graduate and two-time NCAA champion Second Lieutenant Patrick Hoopes will join the team on pommel horse. Other teams and individuals will start on different apparatuses: Oklahoma and 5280 Gymnastics begin on pommel horse; Rocky Mountain Mavericks and Texas Dreams start on still rings; Stanford opens with vault; Nebraska starts with parallel bars; Arizona State and California begin with high bar.
The Rocky Mountain Open dates back over 70 years but has been held at the Air Force Academy since 1980. Since 2000, Oklahoma has won all but three team titles at this event—Nebraska took first in 2018 while Stanford claimed victories in both 2023 and 2025.
Air Force assistant coaches Sergey Resnick and Mike Reid previously won five consecutive Rocky Mountain Open pommel horse titles as Oklahoma gymnasts between 2012-2016. First-year coach Second Lieutenant Patrick Hoopes added another title for Air Force in 2025.
This season sees eight freshmen joining the Falcons: Carson Crooks, Devin Gopaul, John Hults, Alex Kob, Isaac Koo, Will Kudlac, John Calvin North IV, and Reese Staley.
Head coach Josh Loeser returns for his seventh season leading Air Force gymnastics—his twelfth overall with the program—and is joined by former Oklahoma teammates Mike Reid and Sergey Resnick as well as recent graduate Patrick Hoopes.
Air Force will host three home meets this season: the Rocky Mountain Open on January 17; Senior Night against Mavericks on February 28; and USAG Collegiate Nationals from March 20-21.
Team captains for this year are seniors Sam Brown and Tai Gopaul.
After opening their season at home this weekend, Air Force’s next competition is scheduled for February 7 in Norman against Oklahoma and Ohio State.
