Cal Throwers Camryn Rogers, Mykolas Alekna Set to Face Big Names at Mt. SAC Relays

Cal track and field stars Camryn Rogers and Mykolas Alekna, collegiate leaders in their throwing events this season, will test themselves against world-class athletes Saturday at the 62nd annual Mt. SAC Relays in Walnut, California.

Rogers, the two-time defending NCAA champion in the women’s hammer throw, faces a field that includes 2022 world leader Brooke Andersen and two-time Olympian Gwen Berry.

The elite division of the women’s hammer goes off at 1:15 p.m. on Saturday.

Alekna, a freshman from Lithuania, will measure himself against a loaded men’s discus field featuring the Swedish duo of Daniel Stahl and Simon Pettersson — gold and silver medalists at the Tokyo Olympics last summer — plus Arizona State’s Turner Washington, the defending NCAA champion in the event.

The elite division of the men’s discus begins at 2:55 p.m.

“It’s a great opportunity,” Cal throws coach Mo Saatara said in a phone interview from Walnut. “It’s good for them to see this level of competition as we prepare for the championship season.”

CNBC will broadcast the meet Saturday from 2 to 4 p.m.

It’s a busy weekend in track and field, with Cal also sending athletes to the Long Beach Invitational and the Bryan Clay Invitational at Azusa. But Mt. SAC is one of the country’s biggest meets, a two-weekend affair that draws competitors from the high school level through the professional ranks.

Rogers currently sits at No. 2 on the 2022 world list with a season-best mark of 74.80 meters (245 feet, 5 inches). She owns the collegiate record of 75.52 (247-9).

A senior from Canada, Rogers finished fifth at the Tokyo Olympics, beating both Andersen and Berry, who were 10th and 11th, respectively.

But both Americans have longer career bests. Andersen, 26, threw 78.18 meters (256-6) last year and Berry, 32, threw 77.78 (255-2) in 2018. Those marks rank Nos. 5 and 6 on the all-time world list.

Saatara anticipates that Andersen and Berry may throw better than they did in Tokyo.

“The Olympics is very high stress, and the women she’s facing are more in their element,” Saatara said. “This is the first time Camryn has gotten the chance to compete at this level of meet” during the regular season.

The event also includes a pair of former collegiate stars in Janee’ Kassanavoid (Kansas State) and Janeah Stewart (Ole Miss), who own bests of 75.50 (247-8) and 75.43 (247-5), respectively.

Alekna faces even stiffer competition. At just 19, he is the reigning U20 world champion and he resides at No. 3 on the 2022 world list with a school-record and personal-best throw of 66.70 meters (218-10). But the discus field he’s facing includes five Olympians.

“I think it’s going to be great for him,” Saatara said. “It’s the first time he’s going to get a chance to see these guys face to face. He’s seen what they do, but actually getting a chance to compete with them is a totally different opportunity.

"He’s a very well-prepared young man, but keep in mind he’s a 19-year old kid. He has done amazing things and has a high level of respect for the sport. At the same time, he’s a great competitor and wants to be in that setting."

Stahl, 29, has a world-leading mark of 69.11 (226-9) and a lifetime best of 71.86 (235-5), which places the two-time Olympian fourth on the all-time world list.

Pettersson is No. 6 in the world this season and the 28-year-old Tokyo Games runner-up has a lifetime best of 69.48 (227-11).

Others headed to Mt. SAC include American Sam Mattis, 28, who was eighth at Tokyo last year and has a career best of 67.45 (221-3), Samoan Alex Rose, a two-time Olympian with a best of 67.48 (221-3), and Sven Martin Skagestad, a 27-year-old from Norway, a 2016 Olympian with a best of 65.20 (213-11).

ASU’s Washington swept the shot put and discus at the 2021 NCAA meet, and has a discus best of 66.26 (217-5).

The Bears will take next week off before the Big Meet on April 30 at Stanford. The Pac-12 meet comes two weeks after that before NCAA competition gets under way.

Saatara said Rogers and Alekna have enjoyed “very stable” training. “This is a great chance to see the results of all the hard work they’ve done,” he said.

Cover photo of Camryn Rogers at the Tokyo Olympics by Kirby Lee, USA Today

Follow Jeff Faraudo of Cal Sports Report on Twitter: @jefffaraudo