USAF ACADEMY, Colo. – The California men's gymnastics team competed outside of its home state for the first time this season on Saturday, traveling east to Colorado and meeting conference-mate Air Force at Cadet West Gym in an afternoon matchup. Despite compiling a season-high team score after six rotations, the Golden Bears were eventually outdone by the Falcons on their Senior Day, 313.500-312.350.
 
Cal won on floor (52.750), rings (51.300) and vault (54.650) while the host team triumphed on pommel horse (55.100), parallel bars (51.550) and high bar (49.100).
 
The Bears started off the day on pommel horse and scored a season-best 53.250, with no man earning under a 13.000 and season bests from Brendan Strom (13.000) and Harry Kim (13.050), but the Falcons' reigning NCAA Champion Patrick Hoopes was the one to take the event title with a nation-leading 15.150; meanwhile, Cal's own pommel horse specialist Aidan Li finished third at 13.900.  The team then recorded two sticks on floor, courtesy of Carter Kim and rookie Matteo Bardana, the latter of whom scored 13.800 – the best on the event by any Bear this season – to take his first event crown.
 
Freshman Sam Cirlincione started off the vault lineup with a second-place score of 13.800 to lead the Bears, followed shortly afterward by anchor Carter Kim and his third-place 13.750. Theodor Roald Gadderud was the next Cal gymnast to take home an event title, scoring a season-best 13.050 on rings to tie with Air Force's Jared Fry, while Jaxon Mitchell claimed the final podium spot with a score of 12.950. Mitchell also performed well on high bar, scoring a 12.900 for second place in the competition. The squad finished its day on parallel bars, starting off with a stick from Brendan Strom and ending with Roald Gadderud's second-place 13.650 – another season best.
 
AT AIR FORCE – Feb. 8, 2025
Air Force 313.500
Cal 312.350
 
POMMEL HORSE – Air Force 55.100, Cal 53.250
Brendan Strom – 13.000
Harry Kim – 13.050
Tyler Shimizu – 13.300
Aidan Li – 13.900
 
FLOOR – Cal 52.750, Air Force 50.950
Tucker Yasunaga 12.750
Khalen Curry 13.500
Carter Kim 12.700
Matteo Bardana 13.800 (winner)
 
VAULT – Cal 54.650, Air Force 54.350
Sam Cirlincione 13.800
Theodor Roald Gadderud 13.600
Khalen Curry 13.500
Carter Kim 13.750
 
RINGS – Cal 51.300, Air Force 51.100
Jaxon Mitchell 12.950
Matteo Bardana 12.800
Theodor Roald Gadderud 13.050 (tied – winner)
Sam Cirlincione 12.500
 
HORIZONTAL BAR – Air Force 49.100, Cal 48.850
Tucker Yasunaga 12.650
Carter Kim 10.700
Theodor Roald Gadderud 12.600
Jaxon Mitchell 12.900
 
PARALLEL BARS – Air Force 52.900, Cal 51.550
Brendan Strom 11.700
Matteo Bardana 13.000
Tucker Yasunaga 13.200
Theodor Roald Gadderud 13.650
 
UP NEXT
Cal's Aidan Li and Matteo Bardana will compete at the Canadian Championships on Feb. 14 and 16, while the team will next appear at Haas Pavilion on Feb. 28 for Senior Day against Oklahoma and Nebraska.
 
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