BERKELEY ­­– The California women's gymnastics coaching staff swept the WCGA national coaching awards as announced by the organization last weekend. Elisabeth Crandall-Howell and Justin Howell were named Co-Head Coaches of the Year and John Carney was named Assistant Coach of the Year.

This is the second national coach of the year award in Howell's career and the first for Crandall-Howell. Carney becomes the first Golden Bears assistant coach to win the honor since Crandall-Howell in 2016.

Howell and Crandall-Howell led Cal to new heights this season. The Bears rewrote the program's record book, secured a share of their second straight Pac-12 regular season title, ended the regular season with a record NQS of 197.825, and qualified for its 11th straight NCAA Regional. They had six of the top-10 team scores in program history and twice in a row broke the all-time record with a 198.100 and a 198.275.

Cal had 51 event wins this season with 123 podium finishes, topping last year's marks by a mile. Five Bears earned 10 All-Pac-12 honors and four earned seven All-America honors.

Serving as the primary beam and floor coach, Crandall-Howell guided the Bears to one of its strongest seasons on those two events, ranking sixth in the nation on beam with an NQS of 49.540 and 10th on floor with a 49.495. Last season they ranked eighth and 15th, respectively.

On beam, Cal had six of the top-10 beam scores in program history, broke the all-time team and individual records in back-to-back meets, saw its first perfect 10, and earned its first Pac-12 individual championship (Mya Lauzon). The new record of 49.825, achieved on March 12, is the second-highest beam score in NCAA history and the highest score on any event by any team this season. Lauzon was named a first-team All-American in the event with her last three scores being 9.975, 10.00, and 9.975.

On floor, the Bears had two of the top-10 scores in program history and set the program record with a 39.700 on March 3. That very same day, the first perfect 10 in program history was achieved by freshman eMjae Frazier, who was recently named a first-team All-American in the event. Lauzon was named second-team All-America.

Serving as the primary vault coach, Howell guided the Bears to a 49.370 NQS as the 10th-ranked program in the nation. Last season, they finished 12th with a 49.240. They had four of the top-10 vault scores in program history, including a 49.450 achieved on Jan 14, which is the fourth-highest score in history. S Lauzon took second at the Pac-12 Championships, ranked seventh with an NQS of 9.930, and was named a first-team All-American in the event.

In his debut season at Cal, Carney made a world of difference. Serving primarily as the team's uneven bars coach, Carney helped make the Bears the No. 4 team in the country in that event. Cal finished 10th on that list in 2022.

The Bears posted six of the top-10 bars scores in school history this season, including two 49.650s, and had a Pac-12 leading 49.575 NQS. Junior Andi Li (NQS: 9.960) ended the season ranked sixth as an individual and sophomore Maddie Williams (NQS: 9.955) ranked eighth. Both have posted several 9.975s and were named first-team All-Americans.

Carney had to step in as acting head coach for the Purple and Gold Classic in March with Cal's head coaches in health and safety protocols. The Bears took second in that quad meet with the eighth-highest team score in school history with a 197.675. That meet saw them break the school's floor record with a 49.700 and Frazier recorded the program's first perfect 10.