With the departure of the Howells to Clemson, Geralen Stack-Eaton and Rich Stenger look to usher in a new era of California gymnastics. Further, California lost both of its commits due to the coaching changes, as well as a large and important senior class. It will definitely look very different in 2026.
2025 Rewind
No. 9 overall | No. 2 at ACC | No. 6 in regular season | Regional final
California had a stellar season, ending the regular season as an expected nationals qualifier. The Golden Bears placed second in their first ACC championship, narrowly losing the title to Stanford. California’s season ended in heartbreak when it was upset by Alabama in the regional final, missing nationals by just 0.1.
Losses & Gains
| RETURNING |
| Fifth Years: Abbey Scanlon |
| Seniors: Miki Aderinto, Casey Brown, Jayden Silvers |
| Juniors: Brandi Kikuno, Kyen Mayhew, Annalise Newman-Achee |
| Sophomores: Ondine Achampong, CJ Keuneke, Sage Melkonian, Brianna Taurek, Mya Wiley |
| IN |
| Freshmen: Maddison Hajjar, Sarah Lee, Tonya Paulsson, Lucia Scott |
| OUT |
| Graduated: Jordan Kane, Mya Lauzon (AA), Madelyn Williams (AA) |
| Transferred: Ella Cesario (Clemson – UB/BB/FX), eMjae Frazier (Florida – AA) |
| INJURY UPDATE |
| Brianna Taurek missed most of last season with an unknown injury. |
Fresh Faces
California’s freshman class looks different than when it was originally constructed. The Golden Bears lost the commitments of two former four-star recruits in Quincy Walters and Sophie Stuart, replacing them with Scott, former four-star recruit Lee, and early graduate Hajjar. Rounding out the class is former four-star recruit and Swedish elite Paulsson.
Apparatus Deep Dive
Vault
2025 Event Ranking: No. 9 | NQS: 49.300 | Average: 49.205 | High: 49.425
| Event Overview: Vault was the Bears’ worst event last season, though they still finished in the top 10. 2026’s lineups should have options to choose from and a core of at least three or four 10.0 start values, with the potential for more. | ||
| Locks: Kyen Mayhew, Mya Wiley Mayhew’s and Wiley’s Yurchenko one and a halves were staples in Cal’s lineup last season, and should continue to be in 2026. | ||
| Contenders: Casey Brown, CJ Keuneke, Sage Melkonian, Sarah Lee, Tonya Paulsson, Jayden Silvers Brown competed a one and a half last season, but wasn’t consistently in the lineup. She should have the inside track to a lineup spot. Keuneke and Melkonian have trained upgrades in the past, while Silvers also competes a one and a half. | ||
| Wildcards: Ondine Achampong, Annalise Newman-Achee Achampong was limited last season due to coming back from injury but competed a Yurchenko double twist in elite. Stack-Eaton has mentioned Achampong will likely focus on the full this season, but even a clean one despite the lower start value could prove beneficial for the Golden Bears. |
Bars
2025 Event Ranking: No. 4 | NQS: 49.470 | Average: 49.407 | High: 49.625
| Event Overview: California excelled on bars last season, but faces lineup turnover with just two NQS scores returning. | ||
| Locks: Casey Brown, Tonya Paulsson, Annalise Newman-Achee Brown and Newman-Achee both return strong routines to the Golden Bears’ bar lineup. Paulsson’s lines and toe point are excellent, and she brings difficulty to her routine as well. | ||
| Contenders: Ondine Achampong, Miki Aderinto, CJ Keuneke, Sarah Lee, Mya Wiley A healthy Achampong should benefit this lineup, while Aderinto showed well in limited appearances last season. Bars is one of freshman Lee’s best events as well. | ||
| Wildcards: Lucia Scott Stack-Eaton has noted in an interview that Scott was recruited specifically for bars and beam, making her an automatic possibility on this event. |
Beam
2025 Event Ranking: No. 8 | NQS: 49.390 | Average: 49.295 | High: 49.475
| Event Overview: Beam was a strong event for California last season. This lineup will look different in 2026, as the Golden Bears lose their top contributors to that lineup. | ||
| Locks: Ondine Achampong, Abbey Scanlon Returning Scanlon for a fifth year will be a massive boost to this beam lineup. Achampong showed potential last season and should only improve with experience and time to fully heal. | ||
| Contenders: Miki Aderinto, Maddison Hajjar, Sarah Lee, Kyen Mayhew, Annalise Newman-Achee, Tonya Paulsson Aderinto and Mayhew have both shown routines for California in the past. Beam is one of Paulsson’s best events, while Lee could also contend. | ||
| Wildcards: Casey Brown, CJ Keuneke, Brandi Kikuno, Sage Melkonian, Lucia Scott, Jayden Silvers This group has potential and should provide beam depth. Consistency will be key. Silvers has been featured in training clips, and Stack-Eaton has touted Kikuno as one to watch in general, with her strongest event being beam. However, nearly the entire team is training this event, making it one of the most competitive internally when it comes to earning a spot in the top six. |
Floor
2025 Event Ranking: No. 7 | NQS: 49.510 | Average: 49.430 | High: 49.625
| Event Overview: California was deep on floor last season, leaving little room for underclassmen to break through. As a result, this lineup faces significant turnover and will look for returners to step up and newcomers to fill the gaps. | ||
| Locks: Kyen Mayhew, CJ Keuneke Mayhew is the only returning gymnast to have competed in every meet on floor. Keuneke also competed in the majority of meets and had a good showing. | ||
| Contenders: Maddison Hajjar, Sarah Lee, Tonya Paulsson Freshmen Lee, Hajjar, and Paulsson all have strong sets, with Paulsson having multiple E passes to choose from. | ||
| Wildcards: Ondine Achampong, Miki Aderinto, Casey Brown, Sage Melkonian, Annalise Newman-Achee, Jayden Silvers, Mya Wiley A healthy Achampong could slot into this lineup, as could Newman-Achee. Silvers excelled on floor in level 10, and Aderinto has been frequently seen training the event and was also a strong competitor during her time in level 10. |
The Big Picture
This California team looks a lot different than it did a year ago. Graduating an impactful senior class and the transfers of Cesario and Frazier leave significant holes in California’s lineups, and it will leave lineup spots up for grabs. After regional heartbreak last season, it’s hard to see this team make it back to nationals between the athlete departures and coaching changes. A healthy Achampong could be an X factor for the Golden Bears.
Likely 2026 finish: Regional Final
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Article by Tara Graeve
