CHICAGO - After five weeks on the road, the UIC men's gymnastics team will host Air ForceSunday (March 1). The meet is scheduled to begin at 1 p.m. CT inside the UIC Pavilion.

"Air Force is a tough program and they are going to be difficult to beat," said head coach Charley Nelson. "Jason Gaides is coming off a great competition at the Winter Cup Challenge, so he should not miss a beat."

The Flames enter the meet with the Falcons after a week off from competition. UIC was last in action on Feb. 15 in Philadelphia and defeated Temple with a season-high score of 409.650.

Teammate Jason Gaides recently returned from the Las Vegas Winter Cup Challenge (Feb. 19-20) having finished 35th against 77 nationally ranked opponents. Gaides, who was awarded the ECAC men's gymnast of the week on Feb. 18, captured a 13.500 on pommel horse good for 27th-place. Gaides also scored competitively on vault with a score of 13.850.

Teammate Brett Valin will enter competition on Sunday ranked as the No. 9 vaulter in the NCAA. Valin's best vault score (15.000) came on Jan. 9 against Illinois at the UIC Pavilion

"Jacob Thurber and Travis Burke have made some nice upgrades to their routines and I am looking for those upgrades to reflect in their scores," said Nelson.