The reigning national runner-up California women's gymnastics team earned its highest preseason national ranking in program history being tabbed fourth in the Women's Collegiate Gymnastics Association (WCGA) Preseason Coaches Poll, it was announced Tuesday.
 
The Golden Bears earned 1,785 points in the poll and picked up a first-place vote for the first time. Cal is the highest-ranked ACC school and trails just three SEC schools in No. 1 Oklahoma, No. 2 LSU and No. 3 Florida. The ACC, which only began hosting women's gymnastics last year, saw five of its six programs listed in the poll with No. 15 Stanford, No. 25 NC State, No. 28 Clemson and No. 36 North Carolina all receiving an early nod.
 
Cal will face 14 of the 36 programs to earn a preseason ranking during the regular season, including four of the top six. Five of those matchups will occur in the first two weeks of the season as the Bears face No. 10 UCLA and No. 19 Oregon State at the Pacific Coast Challenge on Jan. 4 before heading to Oklahoma City to take on the Sooners, the reigning national champion Tigers, and No. 5 Utah in the Sprouts Farmers Market Collegiate Quad on Jan. 11.
 
The 2024 season saw the Bears earn their highest finish in their 51 years as a program as well as earn their first outright regular-season conference title in their final year as a Pac-12 program. Cal earned its three highest team scores in program history and broke the team vault record.
 
Although Cal graduated a pair of All-American seniors in Gabby Perea and Andi Li, the team returns a core group of Bears that made last year's success possible. This includes junior eMjae Frazier, who earned six All-America honors and broke the NCAA scoring record last year, and senior Mya Lauzon, who earned seven All-America honors and was named Breakout Performer of the Year by College Gym News. Seniors Maddie Williams and Ella Cesario, who competed in all 17 meets last year, also return.
 
The Bears also welcomed in five talented freshmen including Great Britain senior national team member Ondine Achampong, who won the 2024 British All-Around Championship and placed 13th in the all-around at the 2023 World Championships. Achampong helped Great Britain win the silver medal in the team competition at the 2022 World Championships.