STANFORD – No. 20 California women's gymnastics (6-3, 2-1 ACC) posted its highest score of the season in its 196.975-196.825 loss to No. 9 Stanford (3-1, 3-0 ACC) Friday night at Maples Pavilion. The Golden Bears also recorded season highs on vault, balance beam and floor exercise.
 
Cal started the night on its strongest event – uneven bars – and got off to a hot start with back-to-back sticks from Casey Brown and Tonya Paulsson in the No. 5 and No. 6 spots in the lineup. Brown received a 9.900 while Paulsson scored a 9.925 to help the Bears score a 49.250 on the event and win the rotation.
 
In the next rotation, Brown delivered another stuck landing on vault from the leadoff spot to earn a 9.800 before Paulsson and Annalise Newman-Achee each scored a 9.875 to continue the Bears' momentum. Kyen Mayhew anchored with a season-high 9.900 to lift the Bears to their season-best 49.250.
 
Paulsson set a career high on floor exercise with a stunning 9.900 routine from the anchor position in the lineup to cap a strong Cal rotation. The third event saw Mayhew record a season-high 9.875 and floor specialist CJ Keuneke match her season high 9.850. The Bears took back the lead by a slim 0.025 margin at the end of the third rotation.  
 
Cal had three routines score 9.800 or higher in its final rotation on the balance beam. Sarah Lee set a career high on the apparatus with a 9.875 before Abbey Scanlon performed a season-best 9.850. Newman-Achee anchored with a career-high matching 9.900 to help the Bears to a 49.125 team score on the event.
 
Paulsson was awarded her second podium finish in as many meets, as she claimed the silver in the all-around in addition to finishing alone in first place on floor. Newman-Achee continued her success in the all-around, placing third to keep her streak of podium finishes in every meet this season.
 
Cal will make the trip to Clemson next weekend to continue ACC competition, with the Bears set to take on the Tigers Feb. 7 at 3 p.m. PT. The meet will be shown live on the ACC Network.
 
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