The California women’s gymnastics team has been ranked third in the 2026 Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) Preseason Coaches Poll, as announced by the conference on Thursday. The preseason poll places Cal behind Stanford and Clemson, with North Carolina, NC State, and Pitt rounding out the rankings.
Three members of the Golden Bears were named to preseason watch lists. Sage Melkonian and Annalise Newman-Achee received ACC Preseason Watch List recognition, while Tonya Paulsson was included on the ACC Newcomer Watch List.
Cal is entering its second year as a member of the ACC. In their first season in 2025, the Bears finished undefeated in conference competition with a 6-0 record and earned the title of regular-season champions. Mya Lauzon was recognized as ACC Gymnast of the Year, becoming the first gymnast from Cal to receive this honor. The team secured nine out of eleven weekly conference awards for gymnasts, six awarded to Lauzon. All four all-around competitors for Cal won at least one weekly honor during that season. The team also collected 13 All-ACC honors and four individual event titles at the conference level, finishing second at the ACC Championships—a result that ties their highest finish ever at a conference championship.
Annalise Newman-Achee, now a junior from Brooklyn, New York, debuted last season by competing on uneven bars and became part of Cal’s regular rotation. She performed in eleven routines on uneven bars and placed on the podium twice. Ten routines scored 9.825 or higher; her top score was 9.95 at last year’s ACC Championships, which earned her a spot on the All-Championship team.
Sage Melkonian is a sophomore from Mission Viejo who will make her collegiate competition debut this season after performing exhibition routines as a freshman and being named a WCGA Scholastic All-American for academic achievement. Before joining Cal, she qualified twice for nationals in 2022 and 2023.
Tonya Paulsson is set to compete for Cal as a freshman after arriving from Malmo, Sweden. She has been part of Sweden’s national team since 2019 and won consecutive national all-around championships in 2019 and 2020 along with other event titles including balance beam and floor exercise; she also earned silver on uneven bars in 2020. Paulsson reached European all-around finals twice (2021 & 2023) and contributed to Team Sweden’s appearance in the European Championship final last year. In 2024, she achieved gold medals on balance beam and floor exercise plus silver on uneven bars at the World Challenge Cup in Szombathely.
Cal’s season opens Jan. 3 at the Washington Quad Meet in Seattle. The Bears’ first ACC meet will be Jan. 18 at Pitt before returning home to face NC State Jan. 24 at Haas Pavilion. Both season tickets and single-meet tickets are available for purchase.
“Cal enters year two as members of the ACC as the conference’s reigning regular-season champions.”
“In its inaugural season in 2025, the Bears posted a perfect 6-0 conference mark and saw Mya Lauzon tabbed ACC Gymnast of the Year, the first gymnast in Cal history to receive the conference’s top individual honor.”
“Cal gymnasts won nine of the 11 ACC Gymnast of the Week Awards, six of which were claimed by Lauzon, and all four of the Bears’ all-arounders won the award at least once.”
“Cal tallied 13 All-ACC honors and four ACC individual event titles in addition to placing second at the ACC Championships to tie its highest finish in a conference championship in program history.”
“Newman-Achee, a junior from Brooklyn, N.Y., made her collegiate debut last season swinging uneven bars and broke her way into the Bears’ everyday rotation.”
“She competed 11 uneven bars routines and had two podium finishes.”
“Ten of her routines scored a 9.825 or better, including a career-high 9.95 at the 2025 ACC Championships to clinch an All-Championship team recognition.”
“Melkonian, a sophomore from Mission Viejo, looks to make her collegiate competition debut in the 2026 season.”
“She competed a handful of exhibition routines as a freshman last year and was named a WCGA Scholastic All-American for her excellent work in the classroom.”
“Prior to Cal, Melkonian was a two-time national qualifier (2022 & 2023).”
“Paulsson, a freshman from Malmo, Sweden, will also look to make her collegiate debut this season for the Bears.”
“She has been a member of Swedish National Team since 2019 and won Sweden all-around championship in back-to-back seasons in 2019 and 2020…”
“…in addition to balance beam and floor exercise titles and silver medal on uneven bars in 2020…”
“Paulsson is a two-time European all-around finalist (2021 & 2023) and helped lead Team Sweden to the European Championship final in 2023…”
“In 2024…she had gold-medal performance on balance beam and floor exercise…and silver-medal performance on uneven bars at World Challenge Cup of Szombathely.”
