The No. 7 California women's gymnastics team takes its talents to Fort Worth, Texas, on Friday to face Utah State and Texas Woman's in the Metroplex Challenge. The Valentine's Day podium meet is scheduled for 5 p.m. PT at the Fort Worth Convention Center.
 
The Golden Bears (9-2, 3-0 ACC) have won their last six matchups and are coming off their best performance of the year - a 197.550-197.400 Big Meet win over No. 13 Stanford.
 
Metroplex Challenge
Teams: No. 7 California, No. 32 Utah State, No. 49 Texas Woman's
Date: Friday, Feb. 14, 2025
Time: 5 p.m. PT/ 7 p.m. CT                                                                             
Location: Fort Worth Convention Center | Fort Worth, Tex.
Streaming/TV: Meet Score Online (subscription required)
Live Scoring: TBA
 
HOME MEET TICKETS
Season tickets and single meet tickets for the Bears' three remaining home contests at Haas Pavilion are on sale at calbears.com.
 
RANKINGS (based on average score)
Team: 7th
Vault: 11th
Uneven Bars: 5th
Balance Beam: 10th
Floor Exercise: 3rd
 
LAUZON'S WALK-OFF 10 SEALS INAUGURAL ACC BIG MEET
The inaugural Big Meet of the ACC era was an instant classic as the Bears defeated No. 13 Stanford 197.550-197.400 on the final routine of the night. Cal took a 0.15-point lead into the final rotation with the Bears heading to the floor and the Cardinal to the beam. Stanford put the pressure on by earning its highest event score of the year (49.625) thanks to five scores of 9.90 or better. The Cardinal capped off its rotation with a 9.925 from Sienna Robinson to take a 0.025 lead with just one routine to go on the Bears' side. But that final routine belonged to Cal senior Mya Lauzon, who has yet to take a sub-9.9 score on floor this year. In need of a 9.875 or better, Lauzon decided not to leave any doubts and performed the first perfect floor routine of her career to give her a team a walk-off 10. Kyen Mayhew (9.95), Ella Cesario (9.925), and eMjae Frazier (9.90) also had crucial performances in the rotation to set the table for Lauzon.
 
LAUZON REPEATS AS ACC GYMNAST OF THE WEEK
Following an outstanding performance in the Big Meet, Mya Lauzon was named ACC Gymnast of the Week. Lauzon, who became the first Golden Bear to win the award Jan. 7 and the first repeat winner last week, is now also the first to earn the honor in back-to-back weeks. Cal has won five conference honors in the first six weeks of its inaugural ACC season.
 
In addition to her walk-off perfect 10 on floor against Stanford, the senior also won the all-around with a score of 39.750, which is the second-highest mark in the nation this season and is tied for third all-time in Cal history. Lauzon added a win on the uneven bars (9.925) and a share of the vault title (9.90), while placing third on the balance beam (9.925).
 
With 10s on the vault and balance beam during her last two seasons, Lauzon is the first Bear in program history to earn a perfect score on three different events. She is the first ACC gymnast to record a 10 and is now just one perfect uneven bars routine away from the "gym slam," which would put her in elite company.
 
ALL-AROUND GREATNESS
Cal's four everyday all-arounders rank in the top 40 in the country in scoring average. Mya Lauzon (39.500) leads the way in 6th, followed by junior eMjae Frazier (39.379) in 18th, senior Maddie Williams (39.375) in 19th, and senior Ella Cesario (39.225) in 39th.
 
SCANLON SHINES
The best story from Cal's inaugural ACC road meet and 197.175-196.550 win over reigning conference champion NC State came on the final routine of the night. Senior Abbey Scanlon, who has battled injuries and obstacles her entire career, stepped up to the beam to make her collegiate debut after competing exhibitions the previous two meets. Scanlon nailed her series and leaps to near perfection and capped off the routine by sticking her round-off one-and-half dismount and was rushed by her teammates. As the Bears celebrated the senior's long-awaited debut, the judges turned their placards, each displaying a 9.95, a score that gave Scanlon a walk-off event win and tied Lauzon's floor routine for the highest score in the meet. It is also the highest beam score the Bears have received so far this season.
 
2024 RECAP
Cal had yet another historical season in 2024, earning its highest finish in program history as national runner-up. The Bears' final season as a Pac-12 institution concluded with their first outright conference championship after going a perfect 7-0 against Pac-12 opponents. A number of accolades were achieved along the way, including 19 All-America honors, 14 All-Pac-12 honors, and three WCGA West Region honors, headlined by eMjae Frazier being named the Regional Gymnast of the Year. For the second straight year the Bears won their NCAA Regional and had four individual event champions. Cal also did a number on the program record book, breaking the vault record and notching the top three team scores in school history: 198.550, 198.500, 198.400.
 
BEARS EARN HIGHEST PRESEASON RANKING
Following an incredible 2024 campaign, the Bears entered the season as the fourth-ranked team in the country in the WCGA coaches poll, their highest preseason ranking in program history. The Bears earned 1,785 points in the poll and picked up a first-place vote for the first time. Cal was the highest-ranked team in the ACC, which only began sponsoring women's gymnastics last year.
 
CAL TABBED TO WIN ACC
For the first time in program history, Cal was picked to win its conference in the preseason coaches poll. The Bears led the voting with 34 points and the rest of the poll played out identically to the national preseason poll with No. 15 Stanford coming in second and reigning ACC champion No. 25 NC State in third. No. 28 Clemson was picked fourth, No. 36 North Carolina was picked fifth and Pitt came in sixth.
 
3 BEARS NAMED TO ACC PRESEASON WATCH LISTS
eMjae Frazier and Mya Lauzon were named to the ACC Preseason Watch List and Ondine Achampong was named to the Newcomer Watch List. Last season, Frazier set the NCAA single-season record with 673.0625 points scored, thanks in part that she did not miss a single routine all year long. The 10-time All-American finished the regular season as the No. 3 all-around gymnast with an NQS of 39.755 and was named the WCGA West Region Gymnast of the Year.
 
Lauzon is a 13-time All-American after being named the College Gym News Breakout Performer last year. At the NCAA Championship, Lauzon won bronze on balance beam, placed fourth in the all-around, and became the first Bear to record a perfect 10 in the postseason, doing so on vault. Lauzon finished the regular season as the sixth-ranked all-arounder in the country as well as fifth on vault and the uneven bars.
 
Achampong has been a Great Britain National Team member since 2020 The freshman won the 2024 British All-Around Championship and placed 13th in the all-around at the 2023 World Championships. Achampong also helped Great Britain win the silver medal in the team competition at the 2022 World Championships.
 
STAY POSTED
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