Oct. 12, 2012

BERKELEY - The California women's gymnastics team has its work cut out for fit in an exciting and challenging 2013 slate, head coach Justin Howell announced Friday. The Golden Bears will compete in 10 meets on the road to the Pac-12 Championships and NCAA Championships.

Cal will compete against 10 teams who competing in the postseason last year, including several top finishers. Two of Cal's meets will be televised on the Pac-12 Networks - the season opener on Jan. 6 and the Pac-12 Championships.

"Our 2013 schedule is action packed with meets against many of the top-10 teams in the country," Howell said. "We are so fortunate to be in the Pac-12, which is hands down the toughest conference in the nation. Competing against the best means that we will be that much more prepared as we head into the postseason."

The Bears' season starts Jan. 6 in a Pac-12 Networks televised quad meet with Auburn, Arizona and Kentucky at Haas Pavilion.

"Gymnastics fans will not want to miss this event!" Howell said. "All three teams are powerhouses."

From there, the Bears hit the road for meets at UC Davis on Jan. 11 and at Washington at Jan. 18. The home slate continues Jan. 26 against Stanford and then Feb. 3 versus Oregon State. On Feb. 9, Cal takes on Utah in Salt Lake City before returning home to host Brown and San Jose State on Feb. 18.

The regular season draws to a closer with a March 1 meet at Stanford, a March 10 outing at UCLA and the home finale against Nebraska on March 16. The Bears will then compete March 23 at the Pac-12 Championships in Corvallis, Ore., where the Pac-12 Networks will be ready to broadcast.

"The television coverage that we will receive this season presents amazing opportunities for Cal and for our sport," Howell said. "Gymnastics is the most watched sport during the Olympics, and now our fans across the nation can watch our amazing student-athletes right in their living room."

NCAA Regional Championships will be held April 6. From April 19-21, Los Angeles will play host to the NCAA Championships.

Cal's 2013 Opponents at a Glance:
• Auburn finished 2012 ranked 15 in the nation after record its second-highest regional score (196.100) in program history while two gymnasts - Kylie Shields and Bri Guy - were selected to compete in the individual NCAA Championships
• Arizona took fourth at the NCAA Regional Championships and sent a pair of Wildcats to the individual NCAA Championships
• Second-year head coach Tim Garrison became the first coach in the Kentucky annals to lead his team into the top-25 rankings since 1996 with his Wildcats finishing No. 25 after taking fifth at SEC Championships and NCAA Regionals
• UC Davis sent four Aggies to the 2012 NCAA Regionals
• Washington took third at its Seattle Regional with Aliza Vaccher qualifying for the NCAA all-around
• Stanford took fourth at NCAAs last year and return Canadian Olympic Kristina Vaculik
• Oregon State finished 12th last year at NCAAs and bring back two Beavers who combine for five All-America honors and will introduce five freshmen to the mix
• Utah won the Salt Lake Regional and finished as one of the top six teams at NCAA Championships for the 18th time in the 20-year history of the finals format
• Brown sent 10 gymnasts to USAG Collegiate Nationals with Danielle Hoffman qualifying for event finals
• San Jose State returns four seniors for the 2013 campaign after twice hitting a team season high of 195.850
• The defending Pac-12 Champion, UCLA had five Bruins place in the top eight in the NCAA finals and the team took third at NCAA Championships
• Nebraska matched its best finish at the NCAA Championship by placing fourth in the team competition while also having six competitors qualify and compete in the individual events