No. 10 Cal Earns Second-Best Team Total Of 2021
STANFORD - The No. 10 California men's gymnastics team set a season-best team total on vault and its second-best overall team score, but the Golden Bears fell to No. 16 Stanford, 412.500-386.100, Sunday afternoon from Burnham Pavilion at Stanford.
Cal fell to 4-2 on the year with both losses against the Cardinal.
The highlight of the meet for Cal was its vault score of 69.850, not only a season best, but it's also the Bears' best rotation score in any event this year. Multiple personal records and school records were set in the event. The top Bear in the rotation was Caleb Rickard and his score of 14.650, topping his previous career high of 14.600 set earlier this season. That mark is tied for the school record with Asad Jooma from last season. Yu-Chen Lee notched a 14.550, surpassing his previous career best of 14.050, and that score ranks tied for third in school history. Competing in his second collegiate meet, David Rauchwerger earned a score of 14.000, up from his mark of 13.250 in his collegiate debut last week.
Rickard and Lee each paced Cal in two events against Stanford. In addition to Rickard's top vault score, he also earned a team-best 13.150 on high bar, a season high for Cal's team captain. It was Rickard's second straight meet of setting a season high on high bar and the second straight week he's been the top Bear on that event. Lee led the way on floor (13.850) and parallel bars (13.600). Lee has paced Cal on floor and parallel bars in every meet except for one in 2021.
Kyle Abe competed in the all-around, notching a final score of 73.650. His top event was floor, earning a score of 13.350. Abe's efforts helped Cal post a team floor score of 66.200, just shy of its season-best mark in that event (66.400).
Aidan Giusti picked up two personal bests on Sunday - rings (12.000) and parallel bars (13.000).
The Bears return to Berkeley for the next two weeks. Cal hosts No. 13 Air Force in a virtual meet from Haas Pavilion on Saturday, March 13, at 3 p.m., and No. 1 Oklahoma on Saturday, March 20, at 3 p.m. from Haas Pavilion in an in-person dual meet. Due to local health guidelines, fans are not allowed to attend home events.