The Air Force Falcons
are the collegiate athletic teams from the United States Air Force Academy near Colorado Springs, Colorado. The intercollegiate program has 17 men's and 10 women's NCAA sanctioned teams. Men’s teams are football, baseball, basketball, ice hockey, cross-country, fencing, golf, gymnastics, indoor and outdoor track, lacrosse, rifle, soccer, swimming and diving, tennis, water polo and wrestling. The Academy fields women's teams in basketball, cross-country, fencing, gymnastics, indoor and outdoor track, swimming and diving, soccer, tennis and volleyball. In addition, the Academy sponsors two non-NCAA programs: boxing and cheerleading.
The current athletic director is Hans J. Mueh. The team mascot is "The Bird".
|
AIR FORCE FALCONS TICKETS
|
Team Name Origin
The falcon mascot was selected by popular vote of the Academy's Class of 1959, the first class to graduate from the Academy.
Baseball
Air Force enjoyed some success on the baseball diamond in their early years, earning six berths to NCAA playoffs (1961, 1962, 1964, 1966, 1967, 1969). However, the Falcons never advanced beyond the district/regional rounds. The closest they have come to earning a NCAA berth since 1969 was in 2000, when the Falcons lost to San Diego State in the MWC tournament championship game (which would have earned an automatic berth).
Basketball
Men's Basketball
The men's basketball team has had strong showings in the last several years, qualifying for the NCAA tournament and, most recently, making the final four of the 2007
National Invitational Tournament.
NCAA Tournament Appearances: 1960, 1962, 2004, 2006
NIT Tournament Appearances: 2007 (semifinals)
Mountain West Conference Champions: 2004 Regular Season
Women's Basketball
The women's basketball team competed at the Division II level in both the AIAW and NCAA from 1976-1996. Since then, the team has competed at the Division I level.
NCAA Tournament Appearances: 1985, 1990
AIAW National Tournament Appearances: 1979, 1980
Conference Champions: 1978, 1979 (tie), 1984, 1985, 1990, 1991
Boxing
The Air Force boxing team has had astonishing success. Led for 31 years by Coach
Ed Weichers, the team has won 18
National Collegiate Boxing Association championships, and until 2009, had never finished lower than second in the nation. In 2009, the team finished third in the Nation.
Football
Ice Hockey
From 2007-2009, the men's hockey team won three straight
Atlantic Hockey conference tournaments, and made three straight appearances in the NCAA Division I hockey tournament. Their 2007 appearance in the NCAA tournament was the first ever by a service academy. In the East Regional of the
2009 NCAA Tournament, Air Force upset top seed
Michigan 2-0, and just missed going to the
Frozen Four in a 3-2 double overtime loss to
Vermont.
Rugby
Wrestling
The Falcon wrestling team began competition in 1957 and currently competes in the Western Wrestling Conference (since the Mountain West doesn't sponsor wrestling). Home wrestling events are held at either the Cadet East Gym or at Clune Arena. The team is currently coached by Joel Sharratt, a former national champion for the University of Iowa and legendary coach Dan Gable.
- WAC Team Championships: 1
- All-Academy Wrestling Championships: 4 (1998, 2000, 2001, 2002)
- NCAA National Champions: 1
- NCAA All-Americans: 11
- WWC/West Regional Champions: 9
- WAC Champions: 18
- MIWA Champions: 18
References