Cal Track and Field: Iffy Joyner Gives Bears A Second Entry to the NCAA Meet

Eighteen Cal athletes competed at the West Regionals, only two advanced.

The NCAA West Regional track and field qualifying meet ended quietly for Cal.

The Bears had eight entries in Saturday’s final events, but none of them joined teammates Camryn Rogers and Iffy Joyner in advancing to the NCAA Championships, June 9-12 at Eugene, Oregon.

Joyner earned his spot during the discus competition Friday before bad weather in College Station, Texas, caused a majority of the schedule to be postpone. The meet ended Saturday with the rest of Friday’s men’s events plus the regularly scheduled women’s competition.

Joyner, a senior from Pittsburg in the East Bay, entered the ring for his their and final throw in 14th place. Only the top 12 in each event advance to Eugene.

He responded with a throw of 186 feet, 8 inches (56.91 meters), climbing to sixth place. The throw was somewhat short of his personal best of 193-9, which ranks No. 9 on Cal’s all-time list.

But it lands Joyner in the NCAA field for the second time, following his appearance in 2019, when he finished 18th.

Washington senior Jonah Wilson won the West Regional crown with a throw of 191-3 (58.29 meters). South Alabama freshman Francois Prinsloo won the East title at 216-0 (65.85).

Cal sent 18 entries to Texas A&M and just two -- both throwers -- survived to reach the NCAA meet. Rogers, the reigning national champion in the women’s hammer throw, set a facility record of 236-69 (72.16 meters) while winning the event on Thursday.

The Cal women’s 4x100 relay team of Ezinne Abba, Deshae Wise, Maisie Stevens and Sonia Redon barely missed advancing to the NCAAs. They finished 13th in 44.73 seconds — just 0.08 seconds slower than Texas A&M, which secured the final qualifying bid.

Wise, running in the 100 hurdles, less than two hours after the relay, was 16th in 13.38 seconds. Three USC runners finished in the top five, but Baylor’s Ackera Nugent won the race in 12.76.

Cover photo of Izzy Joyner by Kirby Lee, USA Today

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