California Golden Bears Athletics
Sunday, March 12
Berkeley, Calif.
2:00 PM
California
vs
Oklahoma
Photo by: cal.isiphotos.com
Cal Welcomes Defending National Champion Oklahoma
3/10/2017 11:12 AM | Women's Gymnastics
No. 17 Cal vs. No. 1 Oklahoma
Sunday, March 12 | 2 PM PT | Haas Pavilion | Berkeley, Calif.
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After notching their fifth-highest total in school history, the 17th-ranked Golden Bears come home to celebrate senior day as they take on defending national champion and top-ranked Oklahoma. The Bears face off against the Sooners at 2 p.m. Sunday in Haas Pavilion for Cal's regular-season home finale, airing live on Pac-12 Network.Sunday's meet will honor Cal's senior class as part of the Bears' Senior Day ceremony before the meet. Following the meet, fans have the opportunity to attend an autograph signing session with both Cal and Oklahoma.
Fans can follow the meet online by watching at www.pac-12.com/live or by downloading the Pac-12 Now app. Live stats can be accessed via the women's gymnastics schedule page on CalBears.com. Follow @CalWGym on Twitter and Instagram for updates, behind-the-scenes photos and videos and the latest information, and like Facebook.com/CalWGym for more on the Bears.
BY THE NUMBERS
49.325California's 49.325 on beam topped their mark from the Masters Classic. It was both a season-high total and the second-highest beam score in school history.
2
California broke 2 season-high totals last week vs No.4 UCLA -- on beam and floor.
196.800
With a score of 196.800 in last week's meet against UCLA -- the second-highest team total of the season -- the Bears set a season-high road score, moved up two spots in the national rankings and also increased their RQS by .250.
WHAT'S AN RQS, AND WHY DOES IT MATTER?
Beginning in week eight of the season, women's gymnastics programs around the country earn their rankings based on their Regional Qualifying Score, or RQS. The RQS is determined using a team's top six scores of the season, three of which must be from an away meet. Of the six, the highest score is dropped and the remaining five are averaged.RQS determines seeding at conference championships and in NCAA postseason meets. In the Pac-12 Conference, the top four-seeded teams compete in the evening session of the Pac-12 Gymnastics Championships, while the lower four teams compete in the afternoon session.
Cal currently ranks 17th with an RQS of 196.25. With their 196.800 against No. 4 UCLA, the Bears dropped their sixth-highest total, a 195.325, and improved their standings in the RQS as well as their national ranking.
LAST TIME OUT
California topped its highest road score of the season, marking a 196.800 in a loss against No.4 UCLA. Highlights:• Cal set season high totals on beam and floor, with a 49.325 and 49.275 respectively.
• Zoe Draghi set a season-high 9.875 on the beam.
• Charlie Owens set a season-high score on the floor, marking a 9.85.
•Bears took part of 2nd place on vault, with Richardson and Robinson scoring a 9.85.
• Yuleen Stemberg debuted on floor, scoring a 9.825 in her first colleigate performance.
BEAM QUEENS
California continues its reign over the balance beam in 2017, taking a beam title in six of eight meets this season. Cal has swept the beam event in three meets this season, and in Cal's meet at UCLA, the Bears turned in the second-highest beam total in school history with a 49.325.Desiree Palomares is the latest queen of the beam among the Bears with a team-best four titles, including three consecutive to start the season. She has matched her career-high 9.90 on the event twice in 2017. At Nebraska's Masters Classic, Sofie Seilnacht scored a career-high 9.925 to win the event. It was just the fifth 9.925 on beam in program history, and among the top nine scores on beam in school history (four 9.95s, five 9.925s). Alicia Gallarzo also owns one beam title, using a career-best 9.875 against Arizona State for her first crown on the apparatus.
Once considered Cal's worst event, the Bears have made significant improvement on the apparatus under coaches Justin Howell and Liz Crandall-Howell. The Bears owned a 48.285 RQS and ranked 44th in the country on beam in 2012, prior to the duo taking the lead in Berkeley. In 2016, Cal finished 13th on beam with a 49.205 RQS -- an improvement of nearly one point and 31 spots in the rankings. The Bears currently rank 17th on beam and are averaging 49.092 with an RQS of 49.165 and a high of 49.325.
RANKED ON THE ROAD TO NATIONALS
Cal is set to face eight opponents who were ranked in the Road to Nationals preseason top 25 this season, including three in the top 10: top-ranked Oklahoma, UCLA (No. 4), Utah (6), Stanford (11), Nebraska (12), Oregon State (13), Arizona (18) and Washington (20). Additionally, seven of the Pac-12's eight gymnastics programs also ranked in the top 25 in the preseason rankings.The Bears are 5-3 against ranked opponents this season. Cal's results against top 25 ranked opponents so far in 2017 (using rankings at time of competition):
No. 11 Stanford -- W, 195.325-193.250
No. 24 Iowa -- W, 195.550-194.400
No. 17 Washington -- W, 196.300-195.325
No. 4 Utah -- L, 196.450-195.725
No. 12 Oregon State -- W, 197.075-196.825
No. 12 Nebraska -- L, 197.175
No. 24 Utah State -- W, 196.200
No, 4 UCLA -- L, 196.800
NEXT ROTATION
Cal heads down to the south bay to participate in the Pac-12 Gymnastics Championships hosted at Stanford. Seeding for the event will be determined following this week's competition, and the Golden Bears will participate in either the afternoon or evening session on Saturday, March 18, with both sessions televised live on the Pac-12 Network.
Players Mentioned
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/ Women's GymnasticsWednesday, February 19
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