WGYM11/13/2024 4:21 PM | By: Cal Athletics
Cal Women’s Gymnastics Pens 2025 Recruits
Bears Add 3 Top Talents
BERKELEY – The reigning national runner-up California women's gymnastics team signed three members of its 2025 recruitment class as announced Wednesday by co-head coaches Liz Crandall-Howell and Justin Howell. Tonya Paulsson, Sophie Stuart and Quincy Walters will join the Golden Bears next fall.
Tonya Paulsson | Malmö, Skåne, Sweden | GK Motus Salto
Paulsson comes to Cal with a wealth of experience as a member of Swedish Senior National Team, a spot that she has held since 2019. Her accolades are endless, and her elite career got off to an incredible start with her becoming the Swedish all-around champion in her first season. She won the all-around again in 2020 and added a balance beam and floor exercise title and a silver medal of uneven bars that year as well.
Paulsson is a two-time European all-around finalist (2021 & 2023) and helped lead Team Sweden to a European Championship final appearance this season. She is most recently coming off a gold-medal performance on balance beam and floor exercise and a silver-medal performance on uneven bars at the World Challenge Cup of Szombathely.
"As a national team member and international elite, Tonya Paulsson has a tremendous amount of experience competing at the highest level," Crandall-Howell said. "She is recognized by gymnastics fans worldwide for her beautiful form and pristine execution of gymnastics elements. Her energy and optimism are infectious and are sure to have a positive influence. Her openness to new challenges and curiosity about learning is a perfect compliment to the One Day Better mindset. We are thrilled that Tonya has chosen to be a Golden Bear."
Sophie Stuart | South Jordan, Utah | Olympus Gymnastics
Stuart has put together an outstanding junior career as a four-time national qualifier that made a huge splash this year as a Developmental Program National Team member. The Region 1 all-around and balance beam champion also took home silver on uneven bars this season. This was not Stuart's first time making the podium as she was also the Region 1 floor exercise champion and vault silver medalist in 2023.
Stuart has also consistently got it done in the classroom as the top-ranked student at Herriman High School with a 4.0 grade-point average.
"Sophie is an incredibly positive and enthusiastic person," Crandall-Howell said. "We were immediately impressed with the joy she brings to each moment. This outlook will make a great impact in the gym and in the community. She is a supportive teammate who helps others around her with her encouragement. Her love for the sport shines through each performance. We are ecstatic that she is joining the Cal gymnastics family."
Quincy Walters | Southlake, Texas | Texas Dreams Gymnastics
Walters' junior resume features a long list of accolades including a balance beam national championship in 2023 and back-to-back floor exercise silver medals in 2023 and 2024. The two-time national qualifier is a three-time Region 3 floor exercise champion, a four-time floor exercise champion in her home state of Texas, and the reigning Texas state champion on all five events.
Walters, who is also a member of the National Honor Society, is no stranger to Cal as both her grandmother Nancy Anderson and her great uncle Victor Antola are Golden Bear alumni. She is also not the first DI student-athlete in her family. Her sister Avery is a gymnast at Brown, her sister Jojo is on the UCLA water polo team, and her cousin George Vlahos plays lacrosse for the Naval Academy.
"We are so excited to welcome Quincy to Berkeley," Crandall-Howell said. "Throughout the recruiting process, it was very clear that she would be an incredible addition to the team. The care that Quincy shows for others, and the commitment she has for bringing her best self to each day is inspiring. Her attention to detail and artistic presentation in gymnastics is going to be something Cal fans will truly appreciate. She is one of a very small number in the Developmental program to have scored multiple perfect 10s on floor exercise. It's going to be wonderful to see her shine at Cal."
