Cal Track & Field: Mykolas Alekna, Iffy Joyner Nab 1st and 3rd in Discus at NCAA Prelims

Both qualify for the NCAA nationals, giving the Golden Bears six throwers headed to Eugene.

Cal qualified two more throwers to the NCAA Championships on Friday when Mykolas Alekna and Iffy Joyner finished first and third, respectively, in the men’s discus at the NCAA West preliminary meet at Fayetteville, Arkansas.

Alekna, the freshman from Lithiuania, did not threaten the national collegiate record he set two weeks ago but he decisively won the competition. His two legal throws both were more than 10 farther than anyone else managed, and his winning mark of 212 feet, 10 inches (64.87 meters) set a facility record at John McDonnell Field.

Alekna has twice broken the national collegiate record as a freshman, including his 225-6 (68.73) winning performance at the Pac-12 championships.

Teammate Iffy Joyner will compete at the NCAA nationals for the second straight year after finishing third at 188-9 (57.55). Arizona State’s Ralford Mullings, a freshman from Jamaica, was second with a best of 199-8 (60.86).

In addition to Alekna and Joyner in the discus, Cal has four other athletes in the throwing events who have qualified this week for the June 8-11 NCAA meet in Eugene, Oregon:

— Camryn Rogers, first, women’s hammer throw

— Anna Purchase, third, women’s hammer

— Josh Johnson, third, men’s shot put

— Ivar Moisander, ninth, men’s hammer

Johnson wound up 30th in the men’s discus with a best of 171-6 (52.28).

The top 12 finishers in each event at the West and East region preliminary meet advance to the NCAA nationals.

Cal sophomore Garrett MacQuiddy came up short in the 1,500 quarterfinals, finishing 17th in 3:43.82. Sophomore Jai Williams tied for 34th in the high jump, clearing 6-8 3/4 (2.05 meters). The Cal 4x400 men’s relay finished 30th in 3:09.21.

Oregon sophomore Micah Williams delivered a headline performance Friday by winning his quarterfinal heat of the 100 meters in 9.86 seconds, equal to the second-fastest time in the world this year. Stanford freshman Udodi Onwuzurike was second in 10.03.

Cover photo of Mykolas Alekna by Ben Lonergan, Register-Guard for USA Today

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