WGYM1/20/2018 3:10 PM | By: Cal Athletics
No. 23 Cal Sweeps Titles At No. 13 Washington
SEATTLE -- No. 23 California women's gymnastics swept every event title at No. 13 Washington, but fell to the Huskies 196.325-194.850 after an uncharacteristically slow start on Saturday afternoon from Alaska Airlines Arena.
Toni-Ann Williams led the Golden Bears with three event titles, including a season-high 39.325 in the all-around. Williams also posted season-highs in her vault (9.90) and floor (9.925) wins. She was one of three Golden Bears to collect a crown, with freshman all-around
Kyana George winning beam with a career-high 9.90 and teammate
Nina Schank taking the bars title with her career-high 9.925.
As a team, Cal set a season-high on vault and topped the 49.0 mark on floor for the second time this season.
A slow start in the first rotation would prove to come back to haunt the Bears in their remaining three rotations. For the second consecutive meet a few misses on the uneven bars left the Bears in a one-point hole, with Washington leading 48.950-47.900.
Sofie Seilnacht led off on bars with a 9.85 in her season debut, but misses by George,
Chelsea Shu and
Yuleen Sternberg put the Bears behind. Cal was also missing one of its top bar gymnasts in Polish National Team member
Alma Kuc, out with an injury. Williams went 9.80, a season-high, in the fourth spot, but the biggest highlight of the event was Schank's 9.925 -- one of only two 9.925 scores across any event of the afternoon. Seilnacht took second for her leadoff performance.
Cal rallied back with a season-high 48.925 vault total in the second rotation. The Bears have steadily improve their vault scores through each of the three meets this season, and Saturday's action was capped off by four season-high totals. Though the Bears looked to be in another hole with a 9.20 start on the event, the remaining five gymnasts in the lineup each hit.
Rachael Mastrangelo made her season debut with a 9.75, and George added a career-high 9.85, which would ultimately be good for third on the event. Williams' 9.90 crown followed George, and
Arianna Robinson anchored by matching her season-best 9.825.
The momentum continued forward on floor, where once again four Bears tallied season-best totals. Shu made her collegiate floor debut at second in the lineup -- a last-minute sub for Sternberg -- and delivered with a strong 9.80. For the second time in the meet, Robinson matched her season-high with a 9.80, while
Cassidy Keelen turned in a career-high 9.775. In the anchor spot, Williams' 9.925 event-winning performance capped off a strong set by the Bears, who scored a 49.050 on floor.
Cal completed the event title sweep on beam as George scored a career-best 9.90 and
Alicia Gallarzo went 9.875 in her season debut to take second. The rotation was marred by an early fall on the event, but the Bears still managed a 48.975 for their second-highest score on the event this season.
Next up, Cal finishes a four-meet season-opening road swing at Arizona State. The Bears will face the Sun Devils on Sunday, Jan. 28 at 11 a.m., live on Pac-12 Networks.
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