FORT WORTH, Texas – The California Golden Bears women’s gymnastics team delivered a strong performance at the Metroplex Challenge on Saturday, , securing second place with a final score of 196.850. The No. 20 Golden Bears outscored both No. 10 Stanford (196.400) and No. 42 Air Force (195.750), but ultimately fell short against No. 8 Georgia, who claimed the top spot with a score of 197.650.
The Metroplex Challenge served as a significant test for Cal as they navigate their season within the Atlantic Coast Conference. A standout performance came from Golden Bears Tonya Paulsson and Annalise Newman-Achee, who tied for third place in the all-around competition with a personal-best score of 39.475.
Cal started strong on the uneven bars, posting a team score of 49.150. Newman-Achee led the way with a season-high 9.900, while Paulsson anchored the rotation with a 9.875 and Casey Brown added a 9.850. This performance placed Cal in second position after the first rotation, trailing Georgia by just 0.325 points.
The Golden Bears continued their momentum on the balance beam, achieving a team score of 49.275 – their highest beam score of the season. Sage Melkonian set the tone with a career-high 9.825, followed by back-to-back 9.900 routines from Newman-Achee and Miki Aderinto. This strong showing allowed Cal to close the gap on Georgia, bringing the difference to just 0.275 points at the halfway mark.
Cal maintained their impressive form in the third rotation, earning another 49.275 on floor exercise. Paulsson anchored the rotation with a career-high matching 9.900, sharing a piece of bronze on the event. Newman-Achee, Jayden Silvers, and Kyen Mayhew all received a 9.850 score for their respective routines, with Silvers achieving a season-best score.
The Bears concluded with a solid vault rotation to hold onto the runner-up finish. Brown had her best vault of the season with a 9.875 and a stuck landing as Cal’s leadoff. Paulsson and Mayhew each received a 9.850 score to help the Bears clinch the upset over Stanford and victory over Air Force.
Newman-Achee’s performance at the Metroplex Challenge continues a trend of consistent success in the all-around for the Cal gymnast. She has collected six all-around podium finishes in as many meets this season, including gold at Pitt, silver at the Best of the West and versus NC State, and bronze at Clemson, Stanford, and the Sprouts Farmers Market Collegiate Quad. Newman-Achee began competing in the all-around this season after primarily featuring on uneven bars last season.
After nearly a month on the road, the Bears will return to Haas Pavilion to host North Carolina on . The meet will begin at 7:30 p.m. PT and will be shown live on ACC Network Extra. Tickets are available for purchase in advance.
