TUCSON, Ariz. – No. 15 California women's gymnastics produced its strongest vault rotation of the season, but the Golden Bears couldn't battle back from mishaps as they fell to Arizona 196.100-195.325 at the McKale Center in Tucson on Friday evening.
 
"Mistakes are going to happen, but it's about how we react to them," said California head coach Justin Howell. "We had too many mistakes tonight where we reacted poorly. We're better than that. When we focus on our own game and the things we can control, then we perform amazingly. When we focus on all the other stuff going on in the building, we don't do our job and that's what happened tonight."
 
Desiree Palomares led the Bears with career-high 9.90s on both of her events, matching her best on beam and setting a new high on floor. She took first on beam and second on floor.
 
"There were a lot of performances like hers sprinkled through the night, and that's what we ask of them – keep your head down and keep plugging away. We just need to do that collectively," Howell said.
 
Mariah Peterson and Arianna Robinson each picked up titles of their own with a pair of 9.90s on vault.
 
In Cal's opening rotation on bars, Dana Ho set a season-high with a 9.85 and a rock solid dismount, and Emily Richardson followed just behind her with a 9.825. Amber Takara nearly wrapped up her routine with a strong score, but hit her foot on the low bar, which sent her flying on her dismount. The Bears were forced to count her 9.025 following a fall by Alicia Gallarzo in only her second competitive bar routine of the season.
 
Because of the mishaps, the Bears were left with nearly a one-point deficit to climb back from after the first rotation. Arizona led 49.125-48.225.
 
After spending much of the team's short week working on landings, Cal's answer to its deficit was its best vault rotation of the season, starting with season-high totals for two of the first three gymnasts in the lineup. Sylvie Seilnacht put up her season-best with a 9.85, and Gallarzo rebounded from bars with a season-high 9.80 on vault. Richardson added a season-high 9.85. Peterson and Robinson went fifth and sixth in the lineup, each sticking their landings cold for 9.90s. The Bears combined for a 49.300 to chip away at the Wildcats' lead, 98.350-97.525 through two rotations.
 
"We always go out and vault well, but we haven't been landing well. I was happy to see the work we put in on that last week translated over to a few vaults, and that's where we should be," Howell said. "I was happy with how we went to vault and bounced back after not doing what we are capable of doing on bars."
 
Cal continued to cut the deficit down on floor, where Palomares performed a career-high 9.90 routine to take second, and Zoe Draghi added a season-high 9.85. Robinson topped off a strong evening with a 9.825 to help the Bears to a 48.900 on floor, matching their second-highest floor team total of the season.
 
The comeback effort fell short on beam, where despite another career-high 9.90 by Palomares, balance checks and a fall brought Cal's total down to another 48.900.
 
"Desiree's been so consistent on beam. Considering that there were big mistakes in front of her, I was really proud of her for going out and nailing her routine," Howell said.
 
Palomares was the lone Bear to finish in the top three on beam.
 
"We need to make sure that our head is in the game from start to finish, no matter what happens," Howell said. "We went to beam and we weren't in the space that we needed to be in order to do it the way that we are capable of. That was disappointing."
 
NEXT UP
The Bears return home to host Oregon State on Saturday, Feb. 18 at 4:30 p.m. The meet airs live on Pac-12 Network from Haas Pavilion.
 
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