Happy Saturday, gymnastics fans! I’m back inside Littlejohn Coliseum as Clemson hosts California for its National Girls and Women in Sports Day meet. It’s also a bit of a homecoming, as this marks the first time head coaches Liz Crandall-Howell and Justin Howell will face their former team since arriving in Clemson.
California enters off a loss to Stanford, but the Bears still delivered a strong performance, posting a season-high 196.975 while setting new highs on vault, beam, and floor. Tonya Paulsson earned ACC Newcomer of the Week honors for the second time in her career after a run of 9.9-plus scores. Additional routines to watch include Casey Brown, CJ Keuneke, Sarah Lee, Kyen Mayhew, and Abbey Scanlon.
Clemson is riding the high of last week’s win over UNC in a highly anticipated matchup, recording a season-high 197.025—the third-highest score in program history. Ella Cesario became the first Tiger to compete the all-around since 2024, earning a 39.450. Brie Clark continued her dominance on floor with another 9.95 while also contributing key routines on vault and beam. Strong performances from Hannah Clark, Quinn Kuhl, Lilly Lippeat, Madison Minner, and Tara Walsh rounded out a complete team effort.
The meet will be streamed on ACCNx at 6 p.m. ET, and scores can be found on Virtius.
Rotation 1: Clemson VT, California UB
Clark (CU): Just a small hop on her Katsamatsu. 9.825
Aderinto (Cal): Church to immediate bail, solid. Love a reverse grip giant. Swings a few into a front double tuck, takes a small step. 9.775
Minner (CU): Tucked Yurchenko 1.5, small step forward. 9.825
Wiley (Cal): Pretty Pak to low bar. Great lines leading into the Van Leeuwen. Double layout, almost gets the stick. 9.875
Holman (CU): Fhs front pike half, takes a small step forward. 9.825
Newman-Achee (Cal): Shaposh to Pak, she’s so floaty in the air. Full-twisting double back, let go a little early, and takes a step back. 9.825
Cesario (CU): Yurchenko full, has a lot of momentum left, and takes a large hop backwards. 9.70
Melkonian (Cal): Nice and aggressive Jaeger to immediate bail. Solid dismount, almost gets the stick. 9.925
Walsh (CU): Yurchenko 1.5, solid as always and gets the stick. 9.90
Brown (Cal): Beautiful Pak to open. Right back up with a Van Leeuwen. Toe-on to front pike half, takes a small step. 9.85
Anastasi (CU): Yurchenko full, small step backwards. Glad to see her healthy and in the lineups! 9.80
Paulsson (Cal): Gorgeous Pak to Van Leeuwen. Solid and steady throughout. Blind full to double back, takes the tiniest of hops in place (maybe no one will notice and she’ll get credit for the stick.) 9.925
AFTER ONE: California 49.250, Clemson 49.175
Ladies and gentlemen, we have a nail-biter in here tonight. Less than a tenth separates these two teams, and there’s plenty of meet left to be completed.
Rotation 2: California VT, Clemson UB
Brown (Cal): Stuck Yurchenko full to start the Bears off. 9.85
Lippeat (CU): Huge Church to bail. Beautiful blind full to double back, sticks it! The sticks are contagious around here. 9.85
Paulsson (Cal): Yurchenko full, small hop in place. 9.825
Clark (CU): Huge piked Jaeger into immediate bail. Aggressive on her giants. Finishes with a stuck double layout. 9.90
Newman-Achee (Cal): Solid Yurchenko full, small step. 9.85
Malewski (CU): Shaposh to Pak, pretty. Sole circle back to the high bar. Beautiful toe-on to blind full. Follows through right into a stuck double back. 9.875
Wiley (Cal): Yurchenko full, slight hop backwards. 9.75
Jackson (CU): HUGE Jaeger to bail combo. Aggressive and quick throughout. Full-twisting double back, anticipates the landing a smidge and steps backwards. 9.775
Silvers (Cal): Yurchenko 1.5, small step forward. 9.80
Cesario (CU): Solid Jaeger. A little loose in her elbows on the bail catch, but covers it up well. Nails the double layout. 9.875
Mayhew (Cal): Misses her block on the Yurchenko 1.5 and sits it down. 9.225
Kuhl (CU): Pretty Tkatchev straight to bail. Goes aggressive leading up to the dismount and sticks the double layout. 9.85
AFTER TWO: Clemson 98.525, California 98.475
Going into the halfway point, we have a leader change. With a handful of stuck landings, the Tigers have pulled ahead. But these two teams are still only separated by less than a tenth as we head into the third rotation.
Rotation 3: Clemson BB, California FX
Walsh (CU): Stunning bhs loso. Front toss to beat jump, the tiniest balance check ever. Pretty ring jump, great extension. Opens the Tigers up with a stuck dismount. 9.80
Brown (Cal): Fhs to Rudi, great control in her landing. Gorgeous extension in the switch ring. Love the variation in her floor music. Front double full to front full to split jump, love this pass. 9.825
Clark (CU): Bhs loso, great control. Solid full turn. Split jump to straddle 1/4, nice amplitude. Rudi dismount, takes a small hop. 9.875
Newman-Achee (Cal): Fhs front full to split jump, great height and control. Switch ring to split full, beautiful ring position in the air. Ro to back double full to front full, just perfect…absolutely no notes. 9.875
Lippeat (CU): Front aerial to side aerial, a little bit of shoulder adjustment but solid. Nice lines and amplitude in her leaps. Love her backward shoulder roll every time. Ro back 1.5, steps forward just a bit. 9.825
Silvers (Cal): Huge ro double back to open, don’t see this often in the NCAA. Punch Rudi to front layout, slips a little upon landing but stays upright. A solid routine for the Bears. 9.75
Cesario (CU): Beautiful full turn. Bhs loso, slight balance check. Switch half to split jump, pretty lines in the air. Sticks the dismount. I love seeing her back in the all-around. 9.80
Keuneke (Cal): Punch double full to back loso, I’M OBSESSED. Love the spunk this routine has. Great amplitude in her twisting. Nice control in the wolf turn. 9.875
Kuhl (CU): Her triple series has me in awe every single time. Beautiful lines in each split. Solid full turn. Ro back 1.5, stuck cold. 9.80
Mayhew (Cal): Nice landing on her first pass. Switch ring to split full, great extension. Punch Rudi to front full, love the control she has out of this pass. She’s so fun to watch on floor. 9.875
Malewski (CU): Wolf turn to open, slight balance check but nothing major. Side aerial to bhs, love love love this series. Switch leap to split jump, slightly off balance going into the split jump but covers it up well. Almost sticks her back 1.5, just a small step. 9.80
Paulsson (Cal): Gorgeous front through to double back to open. Tour jete half to split full, pretty lines. Double pike to close underrotates this a little and steps forward. I love how elegant this routine is. 9.70
AFTER THREE: California 147.675, Clemson 147.625
Another lead change as we head into the last rotation. We indeed have quite the nail-biter on our hands!
Rotation 4: California BB, Clemson FX
Melkonian (Cal): Ever so steady on her bhs loso. Nice lines in her switch leap combo. Almost sticks the dismount. 9.75
Lippeat (CU): Ro double back, great lunge out of it. Switch side to straddle half, nice extension. Sissone to ro back double full to front layout, love this combo so much. 9.825
Paulsson (Cal): Beautiful front aerial to bhs. Gorgeous lines in her leap pass. Ro back 1.5, takes a small step. 9.875
Holman (CU): Fhs to front double full, a little off center but dances right out of it. Popa to wolf full, nice amplitude. Punch Rudi to back loso, nicely controlled. 9.825
Lee (Cal): Bhs loso, pretty. Nice extension and rise in her leaps. Her dance is so aesthetically pleasing to watch. Side gainer full, stuck. 9.90
Walsh (CU): Punch front full to front full, great control. Love the beam choreo as dance. Switch leap to switch ring half, great amplitude on this. 9.875
Scanlon (Cal): One of my favorite beam workers in the NCAA ahhh. Great control on the bhs loso. Beautiful leaps, just a small balance check. Sticks the dismount. 9.90
Cesario (CU): Huge full-in to open. This place is electric right now omg. Switch leap to switch ring, could’ve had a little more rise, but solid overall. Nice control coming out of the front layout on her last pass. 9.825
Aderinto (Cal): Front tuck to beat jump, solid. Bhs loso, nice control. Couldn’t quite see the middle section of her routine, as there are so many people standing in front of me. Side gainer full, stuck. 9.85
Clark (CU): The crowd is ready for this one! Huge double layout, great lunge out of it. The Simone Biles choreo to the tune of Beyonce gets me every time. Punch front layout to front full to front tuck, sticks it cold. Great amplitude in her leaps. 9.90
Newman-Achee (Cal): Off-centered on her series and comes off the beam. Love the extension in her ring leap. Solid full turn. Finishes strong with a ro back 1.5, takes a small step. 9.275
Minner (CU): Nice and aggressive in her first pass, great control coming out of the back loso. Switch half to split full, starts the turn a little early, but has a nice rise on this. Sticks the last pass with a nice lunge out of it. A great routine to close out the Tigers. 9.85
FINAL: California 196.950, Clemson 196.900
Tonight was fought down to the last routine, as both teams gave it their all. Amidst some great gymnastics, the California Golden Bears came out on top. This was one of my favorite meets to work this season!
VT: Tara Walsh (CU) 9.90
UB: Sage Melkonian & Tonya Paulsson (Cal) 9.925
BB: Sarah Lee & Abbey Scanlon (Cal): 9.90
FX: Brie Clark (CU) 9.90
AA: Tonya Paulsson (Cal) 39.325
READ THIS NEXT: Judge’s Inquiry: Breaking Down January’s Perfect 10s
Live blog by Jessica Brock
