BERKELEY -- Another successful season for the California women's gymnastics program came to a close with the team's annual end-of-year celebration Saturday afternoon at California Memorial Stadium.
 
The banquet was held in conjunction with Cal men's gymnastics, with each team honoring its gymnasts with individual awards.
 
Maya Bordas picked up "Gymnast of the Year" honors. The rookie contributed on all four events this season, tallying the highest all-around score of any freshman in the Pac-12 (39.450) and going 26-29 in her performances. Though Bordas memorably got off to a shaky start in her debut – nearly falling off the balance beam but displaying grit and toughness to hold on – she ended the season with career-high vault (9.85) and bars (9.95) scores in the NCAA Regional Final. Bordas recorded a career-best 9.95 on two different events this season – bars and beam – and won four event titles with nine top 3 finishes.
 
Chelsea Shu earned the "Sportsperson of the Year" award for her selfless dedication to her team and leadership in the gym. The three-time Pac-12 All-Academic Honorable Mention was a team captain for the Bears once again and set career-high scores on two events as a senior – beam (9.90) and floor (9.95). Shu picked up a season-best two event titles and five top 3 finishes in her last year with the Bears.
 
Toni-Ann Williams was honored with the "One Day Better" award by her coaches. The award recognizes the gymnast who most lives up to the program's motto by striving to reach her potential in every facet of her life. Though Williams' season was cut short due to an injury, she continued to contribute to the Bears as a leader and mentor from the sidelines. Williams was one of the top six finalists for the AAI Award this season, and earlier this week also received the Anna Espenschade Award at the Cal Athletics Academic Honors Luncheon for her successful integration of academic and athletic pursuits.
 
Rachael Mastrangelo earned the title of "Most Improved." After serving as a vault specialist the previous two seasons, Mastrangelo contributed to both vault and floor this year, going a perfect 23-23 in her appearances. She improved her career-best on vault from 9.775 in 2018 to a 9.875 this season, setting her career-high in the NCAA Regional Final. Mastrangelo learned and competed a Yurchenko 1.5 vault this year, and also added in a new, more difficult floor pass. She competed on floor nine times this year, recording a career-high 9.85. Mastrangelo also won two event titles this year.
 
The Bears also celebrated a number of other team accomplishments this season, including:

• Highest preseason ranking in school history (No. 8)
• Seventh consecutive NCAA Regionals berth as a team
• Program-record 197.675 team total at the NCAA Regional Final, finishing third and just shy of a third NCAA Championships berth in four seasons
  • The score was the fourth-highest in the country in any Regional Final
• Sent an individual to the NCAA Championships for the fourth time since 2013, giving the Bears representation at the National Championships for the sixth consecutive season.
• Perfect record at home, including Pac-12 wins over Stanford, Arizona State and Washington
• 96 Top 3 finishes and 39 event titles
• 10 different gymnasts won an event title this season (Milan Clausi – 10, Kyana George – 8, Maya Bordas – 4, Emi Watterson – 4, Toni-Ann Williams – 4, Cassidy Keelen – 2, Rachael Mastrangelo – 2, Nina Schank – 2, Chelsea Shu – 2, Sofie Seilnacht – 1)
• Finished the season with 11 team totals that are among the Top 5 all-time in school history, including school-record scores overall, on bars and on beam. Top 5 scores:
  • Overall: 197.675 (1^st), 197.575 (2^nd)
  • Vault: 49.375 (3^rd), 49.350 (4^th, twice in 2019)
  • Bars: 49.575 (1^st), 49.400 (5^th)
  • Beam: 49.475 (1^st), 49.425 (2^nd), 49.400 (3^rd)
  • Floor: 49.400 (4^th)
• Ended the season ranked 11^th overall
• Ended the regular season ranked in the top 25 nationally on all four events -- vault (12^th), bars (12^th), beam (13^th) and floor (21^st)
  • Cal jumped in the rankings on both bars (up from 15 in 2018) and floor (up from 22 in 2018)
• Improved end-of-season RQS on two events:
  • Bars: 49.275, up from 49.230
  • Beam: 49.350, up from 49.230
• Three different gymnasts ranked in the Top 50 on an event nationally at the conclusion of the regular season -- Milan Clausi (Vault – 23^rd), Kyana George (Vault – 43^rd), Emi Watterson (Bars – 19^th)
• AAI Award Finalist: Toni-Ann Williams
• Pac-12 Freshman of the Year: Milan Clausi
• NCAA Regional Vault Champion: Milan Clausi
• Two All-Pac-12 selections: Milan Clausi (Vault, 2^nd Team) & Emi Watterson (Uneven Bars, 2^nd Team)
• Four Pac-12 All-Academic Honorable Mentions: Alma Kuc, Nina Schank, Sylvie Seilnacht, Chelsea Shu and Emi Watterson
• League-best Four Pac-12 Freshman of the Week honors (Milan Clausi)