Eriko Yamakuma

We were curious to know how UC Berkeley students in Asia are handling the pandemic and their course loads from home.

Sometimes, maximum potential can only be reached in times of crisis, and the pandemic has been a crisis not just for society but for the sport of gymnastics.

The matchup against Cardinal this past Sunday was full of firsts, as it was not only the first five-up, five-count meet this season but also Cal’s first in-person meet.

Transitioning into an in-person and five-up, five-count format might prove to be a challenge. Whether or not the blue and gold can adapt from their last meet will be key.

However, whether my expectations were too high or I was far too optimistic about the risk, that worst case scenario came earlier than expected.

Quickly fixing issues that plagued them in the past, the Bears hit a season-best total score, improving their tally by 7 points compared to their loss to the Cardinal.

Fortunately or unfortunately, a chance at redemption will come quicker than usual this week as a meet against Springfield College on Wednesday looms.

This week, the blue and gold will be competing against neighboring Stanford, a perennial contender for the national championship.

Throughout the competition, the star that shined brightest was Noah Newfeld, who took on the challenge of competing as the team’s sole all-arounder.

After defeating Arizona State last week, No. 8 Cal will compete against No. 12 Army on Saturday at Haas Pavilion. The meet will be streamed through Virtius.