Courtesy of Air Force Athletics
FORT WORTH, Texas – On Thursday evening, Air Force Gymnast Maggie Slife, the two-time Mountain West Gymnast of the Year, represented the Air Force Academy on women’s gymnastics’ highest stage.
Slife, competing as one of four individually qualifying all around gymnasts, took on the 2026 National Collegiate Women’s Gymnastics Championships at Dickies Arena in Fort Worth, Texas. In her gymnastics, Slife represented USAFA to the highest order, closing the night and the season scoring a 39.4250. The junior’s final tally was good for seventh in the second session and 12th overall in the national semifinals among a field comprised of the very best collegiate gymnasts in the nation.
Slife, rotating with defending national champion No. 1 Oklahoma, opened the evening on vault. The junior executed a strong Yurchenko one and a half, scoring a 9.850 to open her evening in Fort Worth. Slife’s vault finish was good for a share of 13th place.
Taking on bars, Slife stuck her full twisting double back to score a 9.8875 and end the night with a share of ninth place to tie UCLA’s Tiana Sumanasekera, Ashlee Sullivan and Missouri’s Hannha Horton.
Moving over to beam, Slife performed a strong back spring layout and front tuck and stuck her dismount, earning a 9.850 to tie for 16th. The junior ended the Falcons’ season scoring a 9.8375 on floor.
Slife is the first Air Force women’s gymnast to represent the Academy at the national championship and just the second Mountain West gymnast in the conference’s history to advance beyond regionals.
