BOWLING GREEN, Ohio -- California women's gymnastics once again opens the season ranked among the nation's elite, coming in at No. 9 in the 2020 Women's Collegiate Gymnastics Association preseason poll as voted on by WCGA coaches.

Defending national champion Oklahoma earned the top spot and 36 first-place votes. LSU received 11 first-place votes for No. 2 overall, and Florida was picked third with two first-place votes. No. 4 UCLA and No. 5 Utah are the only two Pac-12 programs picked ahead of the Bears.

California's roster continues to feature a deep lineup of nationally recognized gymnasts. The 2019 Pac-12 Freshman of the Year and NCAA Championship individual qualifier, Milan Clausi, helps highlight a squad that also includes two other gymnasts ranked among the nation's top 50 at the conclusion of the 2019 regular season -- Emi Watterson and Kyana George. Clausi, alongside classmates Maya Bordas and Talitha Jones, formed a freshman trio that hit more than 95 percent of its routines last season. In addition to Cal's returning firepower, the Bears' lineup features four newcomers, including three-time JO national team member Nevaeh DeSouza.

Cal's ranking is just one spot shy of its highest preseason ranking in program history. Last season, the Bears were picked eighth. This is the third time in the last four seasons that Cal was voted into the preseason top 10, with the Bears entering 2017 as the No. 10 team in the preseason poll.

The Bears will get their chance against both the top-ranked Sooners and fourth-ranked Bruins, as well as No. 22 Stanford, when they open the season at the Under Armour Collegiate Challenge on Saturday, Jan. 4. All four teams will compete on podium at the Anaheim Arena in what is one of the most highly anticipated meets of the season.

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