In a milestone 2025 season, Cal women’s gymnastics went undefeated in ACC play (6–0), capturing the conference title and posting a record-breaking 197.775 against Pitt. Led by Mya Lauzon, who earned six Gymnast of the Week honors and scored perfect 10s, and eMjae Frazier, ranked No. 14 nationally, the Bears amassed 13 All-ACC honors and maintained a top-10 national ranking. Despite their stellar season, Cal narrowly missed the NCAA Championships. Now, as the team looks ahead to the new season, some major changes are on the horizon—changes that could significantly impact them. With exits on the cards, can they sustain their momentum?
Gymnastics Now took to X to deliver the bad news for Cal gymnastics fans. They wrote, “Cal grad eMjae Frazier will use her final year of eligibility competing for the Florida Gators! #NCAAgym.” They posted a picture of the star donning a blue leotard and a smile. She posed in front of the Gators logo, with one hand’s ginger pointing at the camera while the other at her waist. In her sophomore year, Frazier shattered the NCAA’s all-time single-season scoring record with a total of 673.0625 points. She also set a new program benchmark for the highest individual all-around score at Cal, achieving a 39.825.
eMjae Frazier has made history in her name by becoming the first Cal gymnast to win Pac-12 Gymnast of the Week four times in a single season, including three consecutive weeks. After the season concluded, Frazier entered the NCAA transfer portal, seeking new opportunities to continue her collegiate gymnastics career. It was only a matter of time before this news came. Her exit is another blow to the team after many big names have said their goodbyes to the University of California. Mya Lauzon and Maddie Williams concluded their collegiate careers at the University in the 2024–25 season. These exits come at an interesting time, just as coaches Justin Howell and Elisabeth Crandall-Howell also bid their farewell recently.
As for Lauzon, she earned the title of ACC Gymnast of the Year and secured a bronze medal on balance beam at the 2025 NCAA Championships in her senior year. Williams also had a standout senior season, tying for the highest score on floor exercise at the 2025 ACC Championships with a 9.950. For the new roster to come in and fill their shoes is something that would require much talent and hard work. And the benchmark has been set so high by these athletes in the previous season that an average performance might also seem like dust compared to theirs.
Cal grad eMjae Frazier will use her final year of eligibility competing for the Florida Gators! #NCAAgym pic.twitter.com/rF22Ufei5s
— Gymnastics Now (@Gymnastics_Now) May 27, 2025
And to be the gold, the ones trying to fill their shoes might crumble and deliver a bad season for Cal. One interesting thing is eMjae Frazier’s exit came after the decade-long coaching tenure of Cal also took its exit from the team.
A tough goodbye for Cal Gymnastics
“Thank you to Justin Howell and Elisabeth Crandall-Howell for 13 years of service as the leaders of our program. Wishing you the best of luck in the next chapter of your careers,” tweeted Cal gymnastics, bidding farewell to the coaches who took care of the team for 13 years. A DECADE AND A THREE!!! After transforming Cal into a national contender, culminating in a runner-up finish at the 2024 NCAA Championships, the husband-and-wife duo has accepted the co-head coaching roles at Clemson University.
Their hire was officially approved by Clemson’s Board of Trustees, with each signing a five-year contract reportedly worth $225,000 per season. Over the past 13 seasons, Howell and Crandall-Howell guided the Golden Bears to newer heights. Under their stewardship, Cal captured back-to-back Pac-12 regular-season titles in 2022, 2023, and 2024, then swept the ACC regular-season crown in their inaugural year in the league in 2025. Howell became Cal’s most winning coach, with over 230 victories, while Crandall-Howell’s expertise as a former U.S. National Team member and international brevet judge elevated the program’s technical precision.
Their recognition as Co-ACC Coaches of the Year after a dominant conference run only underscored the consistency and excellence they fostered. Their leaving was bound to have an impact on the team, and it is quite evident now. What do you think, will this dent Cal’s performance in the upcoming season?
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