Rogers, Alekna Named Among World’s Best By Track & Field News

Rogers (left) earned her third consecutive appearance in the world rankings, while Alekna (right) posted his second straight nod.

T&F1/4/2024 3:29 PM | By: Cal Athletics

Accolades Include First No. 1 In Program History

Track & Field News has released the latest iteration of its annual world rankings, once again naming two California track & field stars to its top-10 lists. Alumna Camryn Rogers earned a No. 1 ranking on the women’s hammer list, marking the first time that any current or former Golden Bear has reached that perch in any event, while junior Mykolas Alekna took No. 3 among all men’s discus throwers.
 
Rogers, who competed in her first professional campaign in 2023, earned the top spot of all women’s hammer throwers after winning the first world title in program history in August. Her No. 1 ranking is the first in Canadian history; she had previously made the list at No. 2 (2022) and No. 8 (2021). Her personal best of 78.62m (257-11), set in June 2023 at the USATF Los Angeles Grand Prix, is the fifth-farthest in world history.
 

Rogers’ career with the Golden Bears, which spanned from 2018-23, included three NCAA titles and the 12 best throws in collegiate history, including the standing record of 77.67m (254-10). She also owns the current school record of 24.06m (78-11.25) in the indoor weight throw and was Cal’s first-ever finalist for The Bowerman, collegiate track & field’s highest honor, in 2022.
 
Alekna’s No. 3 ranking marks his second appearance on this world list, having earned the No. 2 spot last year. After resetting his collegiate record in 2023 with a 71.00m (232-11) performance at the 128th Big Meet last April, he earned his first European U23 title and second consecutive Lithuanian title, followed by a third-place finish at the World Athletic Championships behind No. 1 Daniel Ståhl of Sweden and No. 2 Kristjan Čeh of Slovenia. In his first two years as a collegiate thrower, he has collected nine of the top-10 throws in collegiate history, including the first five, and is a two-time semifinalist for The Bowerman. He currently ranks 18th on the all-time world performance list.
 
Track & Field News Women’s Hammer Rankings

1. Camryn Rogers (Canada)
2. Brooke Andersen (USA)
3. DeAnna Price (USA)
4. Janee’ Kassanavoid (USA)
5. Silja Kosonen…