BERKELEY – California women's gymnastics enters the 2018 season ranked 11th, its second-highest ranking in program history.

The Golden Bears check in to the Road to Nationals/NACGC Preseason Coaches Poll Top 25 for the fifth consecutive season. Cal's No. 11 ranking is just one spot behind last season's best-ever No. 10 ranking.

Oklahoma, who has won three of the last four championships, was picked No. 1 with 33 first-place votes. Florida is second with 10 first-place votes, and LSU is third with seven votes.

Since head coach Justin Howell and associate head coach Liz Crandall-Howell took the reins of the Cal program in 2013, the duo has made the greatest impact on their team of any coaches in the nation, taking the Bears from a program ranked nearly 50th in the nation to regular top 15 contenders.

Nearly every single program the Bears will face this season is ranked or received votes in the preseason poll, including two top-three programs in Utah (No. 5) and UCLA (6), and seven top 30 programs, including Washington (15), Stanford (18), Arizona (26), Minnesota (27) and Central Michigan (30).

California opens the 2018 season on Jan. 8 at 6 p.m. at the annual NorCal Classic, featuring Stanford, UC Davis, San Jose State and Sacramento State. This year's meet will be held at Stanford.

Despite losing a number of veteran performers to graduation, Cal's latest gymnastics squad includes a host of talented returners, including 2016 Olympian Toni-Ann Williams, two-time All-Pac-12 selection Arianna Robinson and Cassidy Keelen. The Bears will also debut exciting newcomers including Junior Olympic National floor champion Kyana George, uneven bar champion Nina Schank and Polish National Team member Alma Kuc.

Tickets for all regular-season home meets will be available for purchase at the ticket office on Spieker Plaza the day of the meet, beginning approximately one hour before the start of each meet and through the end of the second rotation. Tickets are $10 for adults and $5 for youth (12th grade and under) and seniors (age 65 and above). Membership for the popular Cub Club, which allows youth special perks such as an exclusive seating area and membership gifts, is available for purchase on CalBears.com.

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