Cal Women's Gym Advances to NCAA Regional Finals

14th-seeded Bears finish second in quad competition to move on to Saturday's finals

Apr. 3, 2026 at 5:25am

Got story updates? Submit your updates here. ›

A cubist, geometric painting depicting the dynamic movements and competition of a women's gymnastics event, with overlapping planes of color and form conveying the energy and intensity of the sport.Cal's women's gymnastics team continues its Cinderella run, advancing to the NCAA Regional finals through a gutsy, all-out team effort.Tempe Today

The Cal women's gymnastics team, led by freshman Tonya Paulsson, finished second in its quad competition on Thursday night to advance to the Saturday finals of the NCAA West Regional championships. The Bears scored 196.675 points to finish behind third-seeded Florida, which posted a mark of 198.125. Three Cal gymnasts combined to post 9.90 event scores, including Paulsson on the bars and balance beam.

Why it matters

The Bears were expected to get through Thursday's competition, but they will have to beat at least two of three higher-seeded teams on Saturday to advance to the eight-team NCAA Championships. First-year Cal coach Geralen Stack-Eaton believes the team will need a special performance to stay alive and reach nationals.

The details

The 14th-seeded Cal women's gymnastics team finished second in its quad competition to advance to the Saturday finals of the NCAA West Regional championships. The Bears scored 196.675 points, behind third-seeded Florida's 198.125. Three Cal gymnasts posted 9.90 event scores, including Tonya Paulsson on bars and beam, CJ Keuneke on floor, and Casey Brown on vault. Annalise Newman-Achee and Kyen Mayhew also had strong performances for Cal.

  • The competition took place on Thursday night, April 3, 2026.
  • The Saturday finals will be held on April 5, 2026.

The players

Tonya Paulsson

A freshman gymnast on the Cal women's gymnastics team who led the Bears with 9.90 scores on bars and beam.

Geralen Stack-Eaton

The first-year head coach of the Cal women's gymnastics team, who believes the team will need a special performance to advance to the NCAA Championships.

Annalise Newman-Achee

A junior gymnast on the Cal women's gymnastics team and a regular-season All-America selection who scored 9.875 on bars.

CJ Keuneke

A Cal gymnast who posted a 9.90 score on floor exercise.

Casey Brown

A Cal gymnast who posted a 9.90 score on vault.

Got photos? Submit your photos here. ›

What they’re saying

“If we have the best meet of our life, I do think there is a possibility. But I think other teams do feel the stress a little bit more of they have to move on because they're expected. Where we're just going out there and continuing to get our half-tenth better from every person.”

— Geralen Stack-Eaton, Cal Head Coach

What’s next

The top two finishers in the West Regional finals on Saturday will qualify for the NCAA national championships, which will be held April 16-18 in Fort Worth.

The takeaway

Cal's women's gymnastics team has exceeded expectations by advancing to the NCAA Regional finals as a 14th seed. While they will face a tough challenge against higher-seeded teams on Saturday, the Bears have shown they can compete with the best in the country and are building momentum for the future under first-year coach Geralen Stack-Eaton.