BERKELEY – California women's gymnastics co-head coaches Justin Howell and Elisabeth Crandall-Howell are pleased to announce the addition of Kyen Mayhew and Annalise Newman-Achee, who signed National Letters of Intent on Wednesday. The talented duo are both rated as five-star recruits by College Gym News and will join the Golden Bears for the 2023-24 season.

"We are incredibly excited to welcome Kyen and Annalise to Berkeley!" said co-head coach Elisabeth Crandall-Howell. "They both bring an incredibly high level of difficulty along with a passion for performing.  Both gymnasts are very experienced in high-level competition, with multiple state, regional, and national championships between them.  They will make an immediate impact for Cal Gymnastics."

Mayhew is a national floor champion and two-time national silver vault champion. She placed second in the all-around at Nationals and is a two-time level 10 state champion. She is a five-star recruit, and the leading All Around ranked athlete for 2023 in the Beam Metrics rankings.  Mayhew has notched multiple scores in America's top 100, including several scores of 9.85 and higher on vault, beam, and floor, where she has also scored a perfect 10.

"Kyen has rocketed to the top of the Level 10 national rankings in the last few years," said Crandall-Howell. "She has an incredible amount of power and is currently one of the best vaulters in the country.  She performs an effortless Yurchenko 1.5, which is one of the few vaults valued at a 10.0 in the NCAA.  Kyen also loves to perform and will draw fans in with floor performances.  As an all-around athlete, she will make an impact on all four events.  She is also an eager learner and supportive teammate.  I expect her to be a strong leader, and to make the most out of each opportunity."

The native of Mesa, Arizona attends Mountain View High School in Mesa. She competes for Desert Devils Gymnastics and coaches Ashley Schwalb and Geoff Eaton.  In addition to scoring a perfect score on the floor exercise, she also has personal bests of 9.95 in the vault, 9.6 on bars, 9.75 on beam, and 39.125 in the all-around. She also excels in the classroom, boasting a GPA of 3.915.

Newman-Achee comes to Berkeley after competing in the Artistic World Championships in Liverpool, England as a member of the Trinidad and Tobago Senior National Team. This year, she also competed in the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham, England. At the Pan American Championships in Rio De Janeiro, she finished 19^th in the all-around and was in the finals for the uneven bars, beam, and floor exercise. In 2020-21 she finished first in the all-around at the Level 10 Region Seven Championships, where she was also first on beam and third on the uneven bars and floor exercise.  Annalise is a four-time national qualifier and an 11-time regional champion.  She appears in America's top 100 multiple times, with career-high level 10 scores of 9.9 on uneven bars, and 9.85 on floor.

"Annalise brings with her a wealth of international competitive experience, having most recently competed in the World Championships for Trinidad and Tobago in Liverpool," said co-head coach Justin Howell. "Annalise shines on floor exercise, where she loves to dance and perform.  She is also expected to contribute as an all-around athlete.  Her artistry and execution are exquisite, and we are excited to watch her make her mark in the NCAA and in Haas Pavilion." -Justin
The native of Brooklyn, N.Y. attends Hopewell Valley Central High School. She competes for Arena Gymnastics and head coach Ann Kolasa. Also an exceptional student, she was on the honor roll all four years and was named to the Principal's List and invited to the National Honors Society.
 
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