SACRAMENTO, Calif.– The 14th-ranked Golden Bears used their best uneven bars set of the year to spark a season-best 196.975 tri meet victory and tallied the program's fifth-highest team score in school history. California women's gymnastics defeated UC Davis (195.450) and Sacramento State (192.625) Friday night in Sacramento.
 
"Our goal coming into this meet was to have fun, and Liz and I felt a few times that we were so relaxed that we could just go into the stands and watch," said head coach Justin Howell. "As a coach, that's where you want to be. You've done the job, and really it's up to them. They took control tonight and really showed what they've worked on in practice.

Cal powered its way to its 196.975 with a 49.400 on the uneven bars, matching the program's fourth-highest bar score in history. Emi Watterson led the way with a 9.95 to win one of Cal's four event titles on the evening. Milan Clausi and Kyana George shared the vault title with a pair of 9.875s, and George also won the floor crown with a 9.90.

"Getting on the bus this afternoon - and really all week - the energy has just been high. Not only have we gotten better this week, but everybody has had fun," Howell said. "I feel like the injury with Toni-Ann really just brought us all together. Everybody has just been enjoying what we're doing in the gym and working hard."

A high-energy floor rotation paved the way for a perfect 6-for-6 lineup and a 49.225 team score, the Bears' second-highest score on the event all season. Sofie Seilnacht led off with a strong 9.80 and each gymnast in the lineup followed suit with 9.80s or higher, including three consecutive season-high scores from Sylvie Seilnacht (9.80), Chelsea Shu (9.85) and George (9.90).
 
On vault, Cal upped the difficulty and was rewarded with a 49.175. George and Clausi led the lineup with a pair of 9.875s to win vault, and Watterson set a career-best 9.775 total. In the anchor spot, Talitha Jones matched her career-high 9.80 with her Yurchenko 1.5.
 
Halfway through the meet, Cal separated itself from the pack with a 98.400 total, ahead of UC Davis (97.625) and Sac State (95.025).
 
The Bears stretched their lead with a booming bars rotation. Sofie Seilnacht led off with a 9.825, and Jones matched the same score for her career-high before Watterson stepped up in the No. 4 spot to deliver a 9.95.

"Emi's was a beautiful bar routine. I was so happy to see her get rewarded, because she does work like that every single day. She's really been working hard on her landings," Howell said.

Nina Schank and Maya Bordas closed the rotation with a pair of 9.90s, both season highs for the duo. Cal's 49.400 topped a previous season-best of 49.250.

"Bars was a standout. Janelle's (McDonald) been doing a fantastic job on bars, working on handstands and getting in better body positions and landings," Howell said. "We stuck six landings on bars, and that's really been the difference."
 
Cal needed anything higher than a 48.900 to set a new season-best team total, and the Bears exceeded the score on beam with a 49.175 to clinch another high 196.0 overall total. Though George got off to a shaky start, the rest of the lineup produced five consecutive scores of 9.80 or higher, including three-straight 9.85s from Clausi, Cassidy Keelen and Sofie Seilnacht. Jones, who made her beam debut last week against Washington, matched her best score with a 9.825 as the beam anchor.
 
Cal wraps up regular-season road action next Friday, March 8, at San Jose State. The Bears' dual meet with the Spartans begins at 7 p.m. from San Jose State's Event Center.