Milan Clausi wanted to leave Utah to become her own gymnast with her own identity. Growing up as the daughter of a Utah legend can make someone desire for that kind of freedom.
Clausi, a senior on the Cal team, has not only succeeded in forming her own legacy, she has helped make the Bears one of the best teams in the Pac-12 by doing so.
The daughter of Utah great Missy Marlowe, Clausi will lead the No. 11 Bears against the No. 3 Utes Saturday in Berkeley.
A sought-after recruit, Clausi ultimately decided to take her talents out of state and join the Bears, a team that had flirted with joining the Pac-12 upper echelon in the past but hadn’t made it quite there.
The Bears are there now, with Clausi a big part of the success. After finishing seventh at the 2021 NCAA Championships, the Bears are undefeated this year and are the highest-ranked Pac-12 team after Utah.
Like the Bears, Clausi has had a steady rise since joining the Bears in 2019, when she was named the Pac-12 Freshman of the Year.
As a sophomore she went 30 for 30 in hit routines with two event titles and last year hit 28 of 29, tying for the fourth-best floor score in school history at the NCAA Championships with a 9.8625.
Up Next
Saturday, 5 p.m.
No. 3 Utah at No. 11 Cal
Records: Utah (7-0, 3-0); California (4-0, 3-0)
TV: None
This year she is a regular contributor on everything but the bars.
Clausi credited her teammates’ dedication to their own personal growth for making the team better.
“The talent level and drive we have on this team right now is nothing like we have had,” she said. “This team is hungry and everyone wants the exact same thing so we are super unified.”
Knocking off the Utes would be a huge confidence booster for the Bears, in addition to a personal victory of sorts for Clausi, who grew up attending Utah meets.
“Competing against Utah is always bittersweet,” she said. “It’s like taking a trip home without going home. They are an amazing team and I’ve drawn a lot of inspiration from watching them.”
Unfortunately Clausi’s availability for the meet is uncertain due to an illness that forced her to sit out last week’s meet against Stanford.
Even though she might be considered ‘one that got away,’ in the minds of some Utah fans, Utah coach Tom Farden understands her decision to go elsewhere and has admired her from afar. He gained new respect after working a summer camp with her as well.
“She has paved her own way,” he said. She has found her home and has thrived and just lights things up with her personality.”
For Marlowe, watching her daughter blossom into not only a strong athlete but solid person has been rewarding.
“No surprise that Berkeley is quite a culture shock compared to Salt Lake City and that’s exactly what she wanted,” Marlowe said. “At 17, she was craving the diversity her high school and our community didn’t have. She embraced the significantly different demographics immediately.”
Clausi has the option of returning for a fifth-year, under the provisions granted to athletes whose seasons were affected in 2020.
However, she is eager to move forward in her career of media relations so is savoring the current season knowing it is her last.
“I’ve gotten everything I could have ever dreamed of sports-wise,” she said. “I’ve learned more about myself too as an athlete, student and daughter and I am so grateful for the opportunity, but I am excited to move on.”
First things first though, which for Clausi is helping the Bears finish the season as strong as possible.
“This team has a lot of grit,” she said. “We’ve never had that until now.”
