CORVALLIS, Ore. – Ahead of the release of the first regional qualifying scores of the season, No. 14 California women's gymnastics added another strong road score to its resume in a 196.150 loss at No. 12 Oregon State (196.950).
 
Kyana George logged a season-best 39.275 all-around score as one of four Bears to secure a win. Toni-Ann Williams collected the vault title with a 9.875 and Emi Watterson won bars with a 9.875 as well, while Chelsea Shu's career-best 9.90 on beam earned the crown.
 
The Bears' display of strength extended beyond the gym floor, where they fought through an emotional beam rotation after team captain Williams suffered an injury at the end of floor rotation.
 
"As a coach, I have not had many moments that I felt as proud of a group of young women as I did today," said head coach Liz Crandall-Howell."Life does not always go as planned, and you have to make a choice how you will respond.  Our team responded with such courage and resilience in that beam rotation.  They were heartbroken for their teammate, and they channeled that love and fight into each movement in their routines."
 
A season-best 49.200 on the uneven bars helped Cal to an early lead, with five gymnasts in the lineup earning 9.80s or higher, led by Watterson's 9.875. Talitha Jones, who wasn't originally scheduled to compete on bars, stepped in at the No. 3 spot to set a career-best 9.825.
 
"I thought that the team showed much more aggressiveness with their attention to detail in the routines today,"Crandall-Howellsaid. "This was especially true on bars, with many people improving their cast handstand positions.  We still have work to do in hitting and holding onto solid landings."
 
Cal jumped out to a 49.200-49.125 lead over the Beavers after the first rotation.
 
The success continued on vault, as Sylvie Seilnacht led off with a stuck Yurchenko full to set the tone for a 49.100 rotation. George scored a 9.85 on vault, just behind Williams' 9.875 and Jones matched her career-best 9.80. A clean bars rotation by the Beavers put Oregon State ahead, 98.325-98.300.
 
Cal's momentum was building on floor when heartbreak struck the Bears. In the No. 4 spot, George earned a season-best 9.875 and Milan Clausi drew a 9.90 from judges, with the pair's back-to-back strong scores paving the way for Williams in the anchor spot. Williams was nearly through a well-executed routine when she fell in her final pass, silencing the Gill Coliseum crowd. Williams was helped off the floor and could only be awarded a 9.10, giving the Bears a 48.750 on floor. Oregon State pulled ahead, 147.675-147.050.
 
Cal powered through adversity and emotion to post a 49.100 on beam. George led off with a 9.75 to complete a 4-for-4 day, and then Clausi added a career-high 9.875. In the No. 5 spot, Shu stepped in for Williams to score a career-high 9.90.
 
"It was so great to get Chelsea back into the beam rotation. Chelsea was absolutely ready to step in when we needed her, and came through in spectacular fashion," Crandall-Howell said.
 
 
With Cal's 196.150, the Bears have ensured that their season-low 194.450 will be dropped from RQS calculations. The RQS factors in each team's top six scores of the season, with three road scores required, to determine postseason eligibility.
 
Cal returns home for the first time since Feb. 2 to host Pac-12 foe Washington on Saturday, Feb. 23 at 2 p.m. The meet airs live on Pac-12 Networks.