TUCSON, Ariz. – No. 19 Cal's beam team shined as the Golden Bears battled through adversity to post their third team score of 196.0 or better in as many meets in a loss to No. 20 Arizona Saturday in Tucson, Ariz. Cal tallied a season-high 49.100 on beam in a 196.475-196.100 loss to the Wildcats.
Despite uncharacteristically low-scoring vault and floor rotations, Cal stormed back on beam in the final rotation to finish strong on what has been an Achilles heel at times for the Bears.
“For us to go 196.100 with some major mistakes - at least four major breaks - are all positive signs,” said California head coach Justin Howell. “Just like our mission statement says, we're choosing to see the positives in the face of adversity. We had some adversity but we didn't let it get us down. We finished the competition as strong as we possibly could, and we made sure our team knew that we were proud of them for that.”
Among the positives were the return of junior Kristina Heymann and sophomore beam sensation Jessica Howe. Heymann made her season-debut on vault with a solid 9.725. Howe, who has been recovering from a wrist injury and surgery and is still limited in the use of her arms, performed a modified hands-free exhibition routine on beam for the first time in 2015.
“For all of us, seeing Kristi and Jessie competing was great. It was great to have them out there again and they really enjoyed the opportunity,” Howell said.
Sophomores Charlie Owens and Dana Ho turned in another set of strong routines across the board to help their squad to a solid road score.
Owens posted her fifth all-around score of 39.0 or better this season, taking second in the all-around with a 39.300 and finishing as the runner-up on vault (9.85) and third on floor (9.85).
“Charlie has had a couple of great weeks, and she was a bright light tonight,” Howell said.
Ho was consistent among all three of her events yet again to establish herself as one of the most reliable gymnasts for the Bears this season.
“I'm very proud of the role that she has taken on,” Howell said. “She's a solid, dependable athlete.”
The Bears opened Saturday's meet on the uneven bars, where sophomore Emily Richardson led off by matching her career-high 9.825, including a stuck double layout landing. As a team, Cal matched its third-best bars score of the season with a 49.075 to lead Arizona, who tallied a 48.950 in the opening vault rotation.
Things turned sour on vault, where the Bears, who have score a 49.050 or better in seven of eight meets this season, earned a 48.900 team total. Still, the event had its highlights. Aside from Heymann's debut, Owens matched her career-high 9.85 on the event, and freshman Toni-Ann Williams scored a 9.90 to win vault. From there, Arizona took a 98.075-97.975 lead.
With a 49.075 team score on the floor exercise, Cal's floor rotation was solid but not full of the spark it typically presents due to several small mistakes among the lineup. Sophomore Zoe Draghi highlighted the event with a combination of beautiful landings and dance to earn a 9.825, while Owens and Williams shared a four-way tie for third with a pair of 9.85s.
With Arizona now leading 147.125-147.000, the Bears turned the aggression up in their final rotation and were rewarded for their efforts with a season-high 49.100 beam score as five members of the six-team lineup scored a season or career-best on the event. Williams won the beam title – her first of the season – by matching a career-high 9.875. Ho matched her career-best 9.85, and Owens scored a season-best 9.775. Draghi (9.825) and sophomore Isabelle Castillo (9.775) set new career-highs.
“Beam has been our nemesis all season and we've been getting steadily better,” Howell said. “Everyone in the lineup did some great beam sets tonight. They were aggressive, which is something we've been working on. To finish a meet that was that tight and have our season-high on beam was a great way to end the night.”
With the loss, Cal is now 13-3 overall and 4-3 against Pac-12 opponents.
NEXT UP
Cal returns home this week to host UC Davis in the annual Co-Ed Meet and Senior Day on Sunday, March 8 at noon. The meet will be televised live on the Pac-12 Networks and also features the Cal men's gymnastics team against Oklahoma.
SOCIAL MEDIA
Join Cal Women's Gymnastics in the social media realm for behind-the-scenes access to the Bears. Follow Cal on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram for meet scores, practice updates, exclusive photos, videos and more. Find Cal at:
• Twitter: @CalWGym
• Facebook: Facebook.com/CalWomensGymnastics
• Instagram: @CalWGym
