LAS VEGAS – The No. 8 California women's gymnastics team kicked off the season with a historical performance Saturday afternoon recording the best overall score in a season-opening meet in program history. The Bears posted a 197.475, the 11^th-best score in Cal lore, and won three of the four events and taking home the individual title in all four.
 
No. 18 Iowa (196.225) took second place in the meet followed by No. 24 Arizona State (195.775) in third and No. 22 BYU (193.775) in fourth.
 
"The biggest significance of this performance is the confidence that it gives to our team," Co-Head Coach Justin Howell said. "They've been training really hard, they've been showing us in the gym and in multiple intrasquad meets, and different pressure situations that we have put them in that they can go out and have a great first meet. This environment had a championship feel. We were on podium competing against good teams in an event that really replicates a postseason meet. For them to go out and not have a perfect meet, have a little bit of adversity thrown their way, and score the way they did is just going build confidence heading into the rest of the season."
 
Junior Andi Li took home the all-around title with a total score of 39.450 and tied her career-high on the uneven bars with a 9.950, which also ranks tied for second in program history. One of the two judges had even put her down for a perfect 10.
 
"Andi Li is an amazing athlete, she is such a beautiful gymnast and I think that she is starting to believe it too," Howell said. "She went into this meet not feeling great just the night before and put that aside, let her training and the atmosphere and the fun of being around her team take over. She competed like a true champion. It was a lot of fun to watch her today."
 
eMjae Frazier was electric in her collegiate debut taking leading the pack with a 9.950 on both the balance beam and floor routine. After experiencing adversity in the first two rotations, she completely turned it around tying the program record on beam and the second-highest score on floor.
 
"What eMjae Frazier did today was incredible," Howell said. "Both [Co-Head Coach Liz Crandall-Howell] and I told her that what she did, having the adversity she did in the first two routines and finishing the way she did is a bigger victory and a better win than going out and having a perfect meet her first time out. There are a lot of lessons learned for both her and us in watching her handle that situation and how to help her get through those kind of things."
 
As the meet's highest seed, the Bears took on the events in Olympic order beginning their day on vault. Mya Lauzon got her sophomore season started right tying the top score in the meet and setting a new career-high with a 9.925. A 9.990 from senior Nevaeh DeSousa, the third-highest score in the event, helped the Bears earn a team total 49.150 and put them in front after the first rotation.
 
Cal posted a 49.425 on the uneven bars thanks to Li's performance and strong outings from junior Gabby Perea and sophomore Ella Cesario. Perea took silver in the event with a 9.900 and Cesario placed fourth scoring a 9.875 in her first collegiate appearance.
 
The team's lead was extended in the third rotation as the Bears put up a 49.475 on the balance beam, the third-best total in program history. Frazier led the way with her nearly perfect performance and sophomore Maddie Williams finished just behind her tied for second with a 9.900, which tied her career-high mark.
 
Cal wrapped up the afternoon on floor, once again led by Frazier and once again having a second Bear on podium in Lauzon who posted a 9.925.
 
The Bears now have their sights set on next weekend's Wasatch Classic in West Valley City, Utah. There they will once again face Iowa along with No. 14 Oregon State and Pittsburgh.
 
"We're going to take this meet and put it in the trust bucket," Howell said. "We file it away and get back in the gym and go to work. We always tell our team that their job doesn't change. Just because we went out and had a strong first meet doesn't mean the next one is any harder or any different."