California women's gymnastics (9-4, 3-1 ACC) will return to Haas Pavilion after a month-long road swing to take on the North Carolina Tar Heels Friday night.
 
The Golden Bears are ranked 17th in the week seven Road To Nationals NQS rankings, moving up three places from last week's standings. Cal sits in ninth on uneven bars, 19th on vault and balance beam and 31st on floor exercise.
 
VS. NORTH CAROLINA
Date: Friday, Feb. 20, 2026
Time: 7:30 p.m. PT                                                                 
Location: Haas Pavilion | Berkeley, Calif.
Streaming/TV: ACC Network Extra
Themes/Promotions: Belonging Meet / Faculty & Staff Appreciation Night
 
BEARS VS. TAR HEELS
Friday night will be Cal and UNC's first-ever face-off in a conference dual-meet format. The two programs met three times last year in quad meet competitions, with the Bears topping the Tar Heels in each of the meetings.
 
LAST TIME OUT
Cal was the runner-up behind No. 8 Georgia at the Metroplex Challenge in Fort Worth last Saturday. The Bears upset No. 10 Stanford and defeated No. 42 Air Force with their second-highest overall score of 2026 (196.875). Cal posted its best floor exercise rotation, compiling a 49.275 and matched its season best on beam with the same score.
 
Annalise Newman-Achee and Tonya Paulsson tied for third place in the all-around, both notching career-high 39.475 scores. Newman-Achee scored a pair of 9.900 routines on uneven bars and balance beam while Paulsson was awarded a 9.900 on floor, which was good for a share of bronze on the event. Miki Aderinto also recorded a 9.900 routine on beam, which was her personal-best.
 
PAULSSON AWARDED THIRD ACC NEWCOMER OF THE WEEK TITLE
Freshman Tonya Paulsson has been named the Atlantic Coast Conference's Newcomer of the Week for the third time this season, also earning the recognition after weeks one and five. This is the fifth weekly conference honor that a Bear has earned in 2026, with Annalise Newman-Achee taking ACC Gymnast of the Week following week one and Sage Melkonian earning ACC Co-Specialist of the Week after week six.

Paulsson recorded a personal-best 39.475 in the all-around at the Metroplex Challenge. She tied with Newman-Achee for bronze in the category and was the only underclassman to reach the podium in the all-around. It was her fourth time medaling in the all-around in as many meets. She has never failed to reach the podium in the all-around since she began competing on all four events.
 
Paulsson's outing at the Metroplex Challenge was highlighted by her 9.900 floor routine as the Bears' anchor on the event. The score matched her career high on floor and was good for a share of third place. She also anchored the Bears on uneven bars, notching a 9.875 with her stuck dismount. Paulsson has scored five bars routines that have received a 9.875 or higher this season, including her collegiate-best score of 9.950 on bars at the Sprouts Farmers Market Collegiate Quad on Jan. 10. She currently ties for 13th in the nation and has the highest placement among all ACC gymnasts with a 9.890 NQS on uneven bars.
 
Paulsson earned a pair of 9.850 scores for her balance beam and vault routines at the Metroplex Challenge. Her beam was a part of Cal's strong lineup that matched the program's season high on the event with a 49.275.
 
ALL-AROUNDER ANNALISE
Annalise Newman-Achee has collected seven all-around podium finishes in as many meets, taking gold at Pitt, silver at the Best of the West and versus NC State, and bronze at the Metroplex Challenge, Clemson, Stanford and the Sprouts Farmers Market Collegiate Quad. She set a new personal-best 39.475 at the Metroplex Challenge, highlighted by two 9.900 routines on uneven bars and balance beam. She began competing in the all-around this season after primarily featuring on uneven bars last season. Newman-Achee currently ranks tied for 15th in the nation in the all around with a 39.205 NQS.
 
ADERINTO SETS NEW PERSONAL BEST ON BEAM
Senior Miki Aderinto set a new career high on balance beam with a 9.900 at the Metroplex Challenge. Her score was a part of back-to-back 9.900 routines by Bears with Annalise Newman-Achee following her immediately after. Aderinto helped Cal match its season high on the event with a 49.275 score.
 
BEARS ON BARS
Four Bears have NQS scores that are currently ranked in the top 75 in the nation on uneven bars. Cal has recorded a combined eight 9.9+ routines on bars this season, including one 9.950 from Tonya Paulsson in week two. It is currently the highest-ranking event for the team with a 49.250 NQS.
 
MAKING STRIDES ON FLOOR EXERCISE
Cal set a new season high on floor exercise this past weekend at the Metroplex Challenge, compiling a 49.275 on the event. The Bears have improved their season best on the event every week for the last four consecutive weeks.
 
STAY POSTED
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