California women's gymnastics returns to the NCAA Championships for the second time in three seasons. The Golden Bears look to clinch their first Super Six berth in school history when they hit the floor at Chaifetz Arena in the two-day event starting Friday, April 20 in St. Louis, Mo.

The Bears are set to compete in Semifinal II beginning at 4 p.m. PT/6 p.m. CT on Friday. The session also features defending national champion Oklahoma, Utah, Florida, Washington and Kentucky. In the earlier Semifinal I session, beginning ar 10 a.m. PT/12 p.m. CT, LSU, UCLA, Alabama, Arkansas, Nebraska and Georgia will look to clinch a berth to Saturday's Super Six. The top three teams from each of the semifinal sessions will advance to the NCAA Super Six to compete for a national championship on April 21 at 4 p.m. PT. 

Semifinal I airs live on ESPN2, while Semifinal II and the Super Six air live on ESPNU. Fans can follow along by watching on the ESPN family of networks, online at www.watchESPN.com and the watchESPN app, or by accessing the live stats link on 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' the Bears on Facebook at www.Facebook.com/calwgym.

NUMBERS TO KNOW

13
This is the 13th overall appearance at the NCAA Championships for the California program. The Bears have qualified as a team three times (including this season), and sent individuals in 10 other seasons. The Bears have had representation at nationals in all but one season under head coach Justin Howell, with 2018 marking the fifth consecutive championships with at least one Golden Bear gymnast competing.

7TH
California finished seventh in their last appearance at the NCAA Championships as a team, earning a 195.950 in the 2016 semis. Cal's score topped Nebraska (195.775), Utah (195.7625), Stanford (195.575), Auburn (195.100) and Minnesota (194.9875).

5
Five different Golden Bears are ranked in the nation's top 50 on an event -- Toni-Ann Williams (Floor - 7th, All-Around - 11th, Vault - 19th, Beam - 34th), Arianna Robinson (Vault - 19th), Nina Schank (Bars - 20th), Kyana George (All-Around - 32nd) and Sofie Seilnacht (Beam - 49th).
 

ROTATION ORDER

For each semifinal competition, there will be six rotations with four events and two byes. The starting event for each team is based on a predetermined random draw by the Women's Gymnastics Committee. The Bears will begin the meet with a bye before floor and continue in Olympic order to floor, vault, a bye before bars, uneven bars and then beam. Starting events for semifinal II are as follows:

Starting Event    Team    
Vault    Utah
Bye before Bars    Kentucky
Uneven Bars    Florida
Balance Beam    Oklahoma
Bye before Floor    Cal
Floor Exercise    Washington

WHICH WAY TO THE 'SHIP?

This weekend's competition will determine both team and individual national champions. Competition begins Friday with two 12-team semifinal sessions. The top three highest-scoring teams in each semifinal session will advance to Saturday's Super Six, a one-session meet that includes all four events plus two bye rotations. The highest scoring team at Saturday's Super Six competition will be crowned national champion.  

As the championship weekend no longer features individual event finals, individual champions for each event will be crowned based on Friday's semifinal sessions. The all-around champion is also determined in Friday's semifinals. The results from the two semifinals will be combined to determine the highest-scoring gymnast to be crowned an individual title on each event.

A Cal gymnast has yet to be crowned national champion on any event.

All-Americans are determined as those who finish in the top eight (including ties) on any event in the semifinal sessions on Friday. The top four on each event earn First Team All-America status for that event, while those who finish fifth through eighth on the event are named to the second team.

GOLDEN BEAR ALL-AMERICANS

Only four gymnasts have combined for six All-America honors in Cal history, with Alicia Asturias earning Cal's first All-America selection since 1992 at the 2014 NCAA Championships. Prior to Asturias, Kristen Smyth, Mimi Goyer and Cindy Tom were all named All-Americans in 1992, the same year Cal qualified to the national championships as a team for the first time in school history.

The complete list of Cal's NCAA All-America honors is below:

  California All-Americans:

Year    Event    Honor    Gymnast    Score
2014    All-Around    Second Team    Alicia Asturias    39.150
1992    Vault    First Team    Kristen Smyth    9.762
    Balance Beam    Second Team    Mimi Goyer    9.750
    Balance Beam    Second Team    Cindy Tom    9.725
    Floor     Second Team    Kristen Smyth    9.725
    All-Around    Second Team    Kristen Smyth    38.775

CAL'S HISTORY AT THE NCAA CHAMPIONSHIPS

As a team, Cal has qualified for the NCAA Women's Gymnastics Championships three times  in program history, including this year. The Bears claimed a championships berth in 1992 after hosting the NCAA Berkeley Regional and in 2016 at the NCAA Tuscaloosa Regional. Cal finished eighth with a score of 190.725 in the 1992 championships held in St. Paul, Minnesota, and turned in a best-ever 195.950, seventh-place finish in Fort Worth, Texas in 2016.

This is the 13th overall appearance at the championships for the Cal program. The Golden Bears sent individuals in 2017, 2015, 2014, 2003, 1994, 1991, 1990, 1986, 1985 and 1984. 

Though Toni-Ann Williams missed Cal's 2016 team competition at the NCAA Championships due to the Rio Olympic Test Event, Williams also has national championship experience as an individual, qualifying in her freshman season. The 2015 Pac-12 Freshman of the Year wrapped up her debut season with a 20th-place overall finish in the all-around but did not advance to individual event finals. Her 20th-place standing is the best all-around finish for a Cal gymnast at the NCAA Championships in program history. She finished 36th on floor (9.85), 44th on vault (9.825), 58th on beam (9.75) and 63rd on bars (9.80).

LAST YEAR AT THE NCAA CHAMPIONSHIPS

California was represented at the NCAA Championships for the fifth consecutive season as the Golden Bears sent Desiree Palomares to St. Louis last seasons as a beam specialist. The senior capped off her Cal career with a 9.80 on beam for 29th place. She qualified after posting a career-high 9.90 to win the NCAA Fayetteville Regional beam title, completing her collegiate campaign with 10 beam titles.

CAL AT THE NCAA SALT LAKE CITY REGIONAL

California earned a 196.725 at the NCAA Salt Lake City Regional, its highest regional score in program history, to punch a second ticket to the NCAA Championships in three seasons. The second-place finish came down to the final rotation. Entering the last set of performances, Cal owned a 147.700-147.425 edge over Auburn. The Bears wrapped up their last rotation first, going 5-for-6 with a fall in their final performance on the uneven bars, With a 196.725 total all but finalized for the Bears, Auburn would need a 49.300 on beam to tie the meet, and the Tigers were well within range after five performances. A miss by their event anchor sealed Cal's second-place finish.

Cal turned in the fourth-highest floor score in school history with a 49.400, and all-arounders Toni-Ann Williams and Kyana George each finished in the top 10, with Williams earning a 39.400 for fifth and George going 39.325 for ninth.

Utah won the regional with a 197.475. Auburn was third with a 196.525, followed by BYU (196.300), Stanford (195.60) and Southern Utah (194.625).

THE SEASON SO FAR

After a series of slow starts, specifically on the uneven bars, set the Golden Bears back with five consecutive scores below 196.0 to open the season, California has rebounded with eight strong outings since -- including four of the program's top five best overall totals in history.

Across 2018, the Bears have set 14 team scores that rank among the best in school history, including a 197.500 record score in Cal's historic upset of Utah. The Bears have turned in two scores of 197 or better this season, and set program-high totals on bars (49.550) and beam (49.400).

California's depth is paying off. Of Cal's 32 competitive routines used in 2018, 29 have earned season-high scores of 9.80 or better, including 15 of 9.90 or higher. Eight different gymnasts have combined to take home 40 titles.

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