Full recap (with quotes) to follow.
CEDAR CITY, Utah – Freshman Toni-Ann Williams took home another three titles and the Golden Bears scored above 49.0 on three events as No. 19 Cal women's gymnastics took third at the Southern Utah triangular meet on Friday night at the Centrum Arena in Cedar City, Utah. Cal finished behind host No. 21 Southern Utah (196.325) and No. 15 Boise State (196.225) with a 196.125.
"We did our job and had a great meet. We hit 4-for-4 events and didn't count a fall," said California head coach Justin Howell. "We treated this as a dress rehearsal for Pac-12s in Utah next week, where the altitude will be similar. This was an opportunity for us to push our lungs a bit, and we handled it great."
Williams won her seventh consecutive all-around title with a 39.475, and claimed her fifth bars crown (9.925) and ninth floor crown (9.925) of the season. Sophomore Charlie Owens finished third all-around with a 39.175.
The Bears opened the meet on beam, where sophomore Jessica Howe led off for the second consecutive week. Howe started Cal off with a 9.60, and the scores rose through the lineup to sophomore Desiree Palomares' team-leading 9.80. Cal's beam team earned the Bears a 48.725 behind Boise Stt. (49.250) and SUU (49.0).
Cal found better success on floor, tallying a 49.075. Three Bears logged 9.80s, and Williams, the nation's No. 2-ranked floor gymnast, paced her team and the meet with her 9.925 as the anchor. After two rotations, Southern Utah and Boise State were tied up at 97.950, edging Cal's 97.800.
Cal's team scores on each event continued their steady buildup, and on vault the Bears saw two gymnasts stake a claim at the three-way tie for third -- Palomares and Williams. Owens was also solid on the event, earning a 9.85. With a 49.100 vault total, Cal sat at third overall with Southern Utah holding a 147.100-147.000 lead over Boise State.
The Bears ended the meet on a strong note and reached their apex on bars, turning in the second-highest team total of the season on the event with a 49.225. Williams won the event with a 9.925, and sophomore Dana Ho claimed second after setting a career-high 9.90.
"Tonight's meet was a dress rehearsal for Pac-12s, and we know that going into training this week, we need to compete hard so we're not affected by the altitude at Utah next week," Howell said. "Everybody is really excited and we're prepared."
Despite the loss, the Bears upped their Regional Qualifying Score by more than .140 points, improving to 196.190. The score will prove crucial in determining seeding for the forthcoming NCAA Women's Gymnastics Regionals. The RQS is determined by a team's six best regular season meet scores, which must include three road scores. Among the six scores, the highest score is eliminated and the remaining five scores are averaged.
NEXT UP
With the regular season now over, Cal sets its sights on Salt Lake City, Utah, for the Pac-12 Gymnastics Championship. The Bears will compete in one of two sessions on Saturday, March 21. Session assignments will be announced after this week's competition.
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