WGYM1/26/2025 7:39 PM | By: Cal Athletics
No. 7 Bears Earn First ACC Win
Cal Tops No. 24 Clemson 196.925-196.225
BERKELEY – The No. 7 California women's gymnastics team defeated No. 24 Clemson 196.925-196.225 in its home opener and inaugural ACC meet Sunday afternoon at Haas Pavilion.
The Golden Bears (7-2, 1-0 ACC) earned at least a share of all five individual event titles and had 17 podium finishes due to a number of ties on the floor exercise. Senior
Ella Cesario picked up the first all-around win of her career with a season-high 39.475. Senior
Maddie Williams followed up her all-around win from last week with another solid performance placing second with a score of 39.450 and junior
eMjae Frazier finished third with a 39.425.
The Tigers (2-3, 1-1 ACC), who are in their second year as a program, earned their highest team score of the season and picked up their first 9.900 individual score as well. Brie Clark was the one to break the seal anchoring their floor lineup with a 9.900 that earned her a share of the event title.
For the second straight week the Bears put up a 49.175 on vault and swept the podium. Cesario took home the event title with a career-high 9.900 and sophomore
Kyen Mayhew finished just behind her in second with a 9.875. Williams and Lauzon each earned a 9.825 to split the bronze.
Cal posted its highest event score of the season, at the time, in its second rotation going 49.400 on the uneven bars. Again, it was Cesario winning the event with a season-high mark of 9.925. Frazier finished second with a 9.900 and Williams and sophomore
Casey Brown each notched a 9.875 to split third place with two Tigers.
Despite uncharacteristic struggles for the Bears on the balance beam and a season-low event score of 48.875, Frazier (9.875) and Williams (9.850) still managed to take the top two spots of the podium.
That season low was followed by an impressive bounce-back performance in the final rotation as Cal scored a season-high 49.475 on the floor exercise. Mayhew (9.875) picked up her best score of the year in the leadoff spot and four Bears followed with a 9.900 to split the event title five ways with Clark. The 9.900 marked a season high for Williams and a career high for freshman CJ Kueneke. Frazier picked up her second 9.900 on the event this year and Lauzon anchored the lineup with her fourth straight score of 9.900 or better.
Cal is back on the road next week for its first ACC away meet. The Bears will face reigning ACC Champion NC State in Raleigh, N.C. Sunday at 1 p.m. PT on ACCNX and ESPN+.
