BERKELEY, Calif. – A new season-best team score was not enough for the No. 13 Cardinal to upset No. 7 California on their home turf as the 2024 NCAA Runner-Up secured a 197.550-197.400 victory over Stanford Friday evening inside Haas Pavilion.
Stanford earned parts of two event titles throughout the evening, as senior Brenna Neault and junior Claire Dean shared the beam title while Neault earned a part of the vault title (tied with Mya Lauzon) with a new career-best mark. Neault finished second in the all-around competition with a season-best total of 39.575.
The Cardinal started its night off on bars, taking the early lead over the Golden Bears with a stellar 49.375 team total. Freshmen Kendra Chang and Ui Soma highlighted the rotation, each scoring a 9.900, Chang’s a new career-best mark and Soma’s marking her second consecutive 9.900+ bars routine this season. Senior Anapaula Gutierrez led off with a season-best 9.875 while Neault and junior Anna Roberts each posted scores of 9.850.
After one rotation, Stanford led California 49.375-49.250.
Stanford then took on vault, totaling a 49.075 team score led by a new career-best mark from Neault of 9.900. Fellow senior Gutierrez recorded a season-best 9.875 up fifth, while Chang and Roberts each posted scores of 9.775 and Walker rounded out scoring routines with a 9.750.
California retook the lead halfway through the meet, leading 98.650-98.450 after two rotations.
The Cardinal kept the success from the first half of the meet going in the third rotation, marking a 49.325 team total on floor, its second-best floor rotation of the season. Roberts highlighted the rotation, posting a 9.925 in the fifth spot of the lineup. Neault anchored with a season-best 9.875 while junior Taralyn Nguyen made her season debut on floor with the same score, keeping the totals building after fellow junior Claire Dean kicked the rotation off with a 9.800.
Three rotations in, California led Stanford 147.925-147.775.
Stanford’s beam rotation was the true highlight of the evening as the No. 13 team in the nation did not count under a 9.900 routine in their 49.625 team total. The second-best beam rotation in the nation this season was highlighted by a career-best leadoff routine from Claire Dean, a career-best setting 9.900 from junior Ashley Carter, and career-best matching scores from sophomore Temple Landry (9.900) and Neault (9.950). Sophomore Sienna Robinson anchored the rotation with a 9.925, her third 9.900-or-better score on the apparatus this season.
The Cardinal stays on the road for its next meet, traveling to Cedar City, Utah to take on Southern Utah on Valentine’s Day. The meet is scheduled for a 6:30 p.m. MT start and will be streamed on Overnght.