Mykolas Alekna, Camryn Rogers Dominate at Pre Classic

Updated

Recent Cal graduate Mykolas Alekna, who announced this week he will fulfill his final season of college eligibility at Oregon, dominated the men’s discus at the 50th Prefontaine Classic at Eugene, Ore., on Saturday.

Meanwhile, fellow Cal alum Camryn Rogers, the reigning Olympic champion, cut loose with a personal-best winning throw of 258 feet, 9 inches (78.88 meters). Rogers broke her own year-old meet record, improved her Canadian national standard and moved to No. 2 on the seasonal world list and No. 5 on the all-time world chart.

Alekna, the 22-year-old Lithuanian, who has broken the world record each of the past two years, had the five longest throws of the day against a field that included the past two Olympic champions and the month-old NCAA meet winner. He posted a winning mark of 232-10 (70,97).

Having previously indicated he would return home to Lithuania to train, Alekna also confirmed his plan to make Eugene his new training base, at least for his final collegiate season. Alekna’s coach at Cal, Mo Saatara, recently accepted a job at Texas.

“It’s my new home, Oregon, so I love it here. The crowd is amazing,” he said. “After a tough (NCAA) national championships, I'm back, feeling good. Hunger is back, everything's back, and I'm ready to improve and win Worlds this year.

"I feel welcome here. I chose Oregon because it's a track town. Everyone loves track and field here, amazing coaches.”

The second-place finisher at both the 2024 Paris Olympics and the recent NCAAs, Alekna posted a winning mark of 232 feet, 10 inches (70.97 meters) at Hayward Field. He had a second 70-meter throw and made five throws of at least 69.65 meters.

"Throws were good, can't complain. Everything's perfect.” Alekna said. ”I think it's all about consistency. This meet showed that I'm more consistent. Didn't foul a single throw, all of them were over 67, two over 70, so I think I'm on the right track. And I hope that leading towards Worlds, I'll get even better, more consistent over 70."

Alekna eclipsed his own world record this spring with a throw of 247-11 (75.56).

Jamaica’s Ralford Mullings, the collegiate champ this season while representing Oklahoma, was second with a throw of 226-3 (68.98).

Sweden’s Daniel Stahl, the 2020 Tokyo Olympic gold medalist, was third at 225-0 (68.59) while Jamaica’s Roja Stona, who beat Alekna by an inch at Paris last summer with a personal-best mark on his final attempt, was fourth at Eugene at 215-3 (65.62).

Rogers, who won three NCAA titles and set the collegiate record in the women’s hammer before winding up her Cal career in 2022, improved her two-year-old personal best of 257-11 (78.62) by 10 inches. She also broke the Daiamond League record for the women's hammer.

Rogers, 26, beat American Brooke Anderson, the 2025 world leader and 2022 world champion, who was second at 252-5 (76.95). DeAnna Price, the 2019 world champ and U.S. record holder, was third at 247-2 (75.35).

Poland’s Anita Włodarczyk, the 39-year old world-recordholder and three-time Olympic champ, placed fourth at 244-1 (74.40).

Former Cal middle-distance runner Georgia Hunter Bell, a surprise bronze medalist in the 1,500 meters at the Paris Olympics, placed fourth in a record-setting 1,500 race. Bell, a 31-year-old British national record holder, clocked a season-best 3:54.76, trailing Kenya's Faith Kipyegon, who set a world record with a time of 3:48.68.

Canadian Rowan Hamilton, who finished ninth in the men's hammer throw at the Paris Games after winning the 2024 NCAA title for Cal, wound up seventh with a season-best of 243-11 (76.36) on his final attempt.

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