Cal Gymnastics: Building A New Tradition

The Cal Golden Bears: A New Era in Berkeley

When Geralen Stack-Eaton took the helm as the 14th head coach of the California Golden Bears in the summer of 2025, she inherited a program with a proud legacy—and she immediately set out to put her own stamp on it. In her first season, Stack-Eaton led the Bears to a top-15 national ranking and a second-place finish in the ACC regular-season standings, proving that Cal is still a powerhouse in this new era.

California Golden Bears Athletics

A Staff Built for Success

Stack-Eaton hasn’t done it alone. She has surrounded herself with a staff that balances technical expertise with deep connections to the sport:

• Rich Stenger (Associate Head Coach): Bringing over 30 years of experience, Stenger has been the mastermind behind Cal's uneven bars success. Under his guidance, the Bears hit a No. 8 national ranking on the event in 2026.

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• Brittany McClure (Assistant Coach): A key hire who has been instrumental in the team's technical development and recruiting.

• Mya Lauzon (Assistant Coach): In a brilliant move for culture, Stack-Eaton brought back one of the most decorated gymnasts in program history to join the staff. Lauzon’s immediate transition from athlete to coach gives the team a unique, peer-level perspective that has been a huge boost to the "Bears' spirit."

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The "Stack-Eaton Philosophy"

What stands out to me as a coach and judge is the "Stack-Eaton philosophy." She prioritizes mentorship and high-level performance, but she also emphasizes consistency. You can see this in how the team is performing under pressure—specifically on bars, where the staff has made it a point to emphasize stuck landings and clean lines.

The development of standout freshman Tonya Paulsson—the 2026 ACC Newcomer of the Year—is the perfect example of how this staff handles talent. They didn't just let her compete; they polished her into a national-level threat in her very first year. Paulsson’s historic performance as the first freshman in conference history to win the ACC all-around title proves that this staff knows exactly how to fast-track development without sacrificing form.

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Poised for the Future

Cal is in the middle of a transition, but it’s a successful one. They’ve managed to maintain their spot as a top-15 program while building a new identity. With a staff that knows how to recruit nationally and a team culture that is clearly thriving, the Golden Bears are positioned to stay in the postseason mix for a long time.

Keep your eyes on Berkeley—this is a program that is doing things the right way, and they are only going to get faster and stronger in 2027.