Cal Bears at the NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships
Can Calympian and world record holder Mykolas Alekna finally get that elusive NCAA individual title in men's discus?
This week’s NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships mark the official end of the 2024-25 school year for Cal Athletics. Eight California Golden Bears made it to Eugene, Oregon after qualifying as top-12 finishers at the NCAA West Regional at College Station, Texas two weeks ago.
ESPN+ has all of the live action.
EVENT SCHEDULE (All Times PT)
Wednesday, June 11
4:21 p.m. – Men's 1500m Semifinals (22 - Garrett MacQuiddy 3:53.49)
5:41 p.m. – Men's 400m Semifinals (21 - Johnny Goode 46.39)
Thursday, June 12
1:30 p.m. – Women's Hammer Final (Giavonna Meeks – Flight 1; Valentina Savva – Flight 2; Audrey Jacobs – Flight 2)
6:10 p.m. – Women's Shot Put Final (Lucija Leko – Flight 1)
Friday, June 13
2:15 p.m. – Men's Discus Final (Mykolas Alekna – Flight 2)
Saturday, June 14
12:30 p.m. – Women's Discus Final (Caisa-Marie Lindfors – Flight 2)
The two Cal runners finished their season on Wednesday. In his second NCAA Championships, Garrett MacQuiddy closed out his collegiate career by placing 22nd in 1500 meters. Johnny Goode, a junior who broke Cal’s 40-year-old program record, placed 21st in 400 meters.
Cal fans know that the Golden Bears’ strongest events in recent years are in the field of throwing.
Lithuanian Calympian Mykolas Alekna dominates the list of the top men’s discus throws in history, yet he is still seeking his first NCAA title. Alekna first broke the world record in 2024 with a 74.35 meter throw. He further improved on that with a 74.89 meters throw and then a 75.56 meters in the same meet this year. Despite the world records, Mykolas Alekna will need to perform near peak level under pressure on Friday. He only won the Silver medal at the Paris 2024 games last year and placed 2nd in 2022 then 3rd in 2023 at the NCAA Championships despite being the favorite.
On the women’s side, Cal will have three competitors in the same discipline once dominated by recent alumni and Canadian Calympian Camryn Rogers. Giavonna Meeks, Valentina Savva, and Audrey Jacobs will vie for the women’s hammer title on Thursday.
Later on Thursday, Lucija Leko will compete in the women’s shot put final.
Finally on Saturday, Swedish Calympian Caisa-Marie Lindfors will compete in the women’s discus. She is the 6th seed in this event.
Time to update the 2012 results for Calympians!
Cal alum and USA Calympian Alysia Johnson Montano has been awarded the bronze in 800m earlier this month. The original first and third finishers in London have been disqualified after the race for doping.
This marks the only Olympic medal for the Cal legend, who earned her iconic status in 2014 for racing while 8 months pregnant.
GO BEARS!
Alysia became one of my favorite runners in high school. I remember being stoked to find out she was a Cal alumna after I picked Berkeley my senior year. The flower in her hair and her advocacy for women athletes will always be iconic. Great to see her getting the hardware she deserves. Here's to hoping she gets to accept the medal in LA in 2028.
Women's Hammer results: Giavonna Meeks finished 5th with a PB, Valentina Savva placed 10th, Audrey Jacobs placed 18th