Mykolas Alekna owns the top-five throws in NCAA discus history, as well as the unofficial world U23 record.
2-Time Semifinalist Has NCAA’s Longest Active Career Total Of Watch List Appearances
BERKELEY – California track & field junior Mykolas Alekna continued his streak of appearances on The Bowerman Watch List on Wednesday as The Bowerman Advisory Board named the star discus thrower one of the NCAA’s top-10 male athletes for the 2024 preseason. Established in 2009, The Bowerman honors the top men’s and women’s track athlete each year. No Cal athlete has ever won The Bowerman; only Camryn Rogers (2022) has represented the Golden Bears as a finalist.
This marks Alekna’s 12th consecutive appearance on the Watch List, which is the largest active total in the NCAA. He was one of four male athletes to have a “perfect” season last year, earning a spot on all The Bowerman Watch Lists on the way to a second consecutive semifinalist nod; it was the second perfect season in program history (Rogers, 2022) and the first by a Cal man. Alekna is one of two throwers on the 2024 Preseason Watch List, joining Kenneth Ikeji of Harvard.
Two more Watch List appearances would put Alekna into the award’s top 10 of all time. There will be a total of eight Men’s Watch Lists released this season, with the next iteration scheduled for Feb. 9.
The Bowerman – Men’s Preseason Watch List
Mykolas Alekna, California (Discus)
Romaine Beckford, Arkansas (Jumps)
Graham Blanks, Harvard (Distance)
Jaydon Hibbert, Arkansas (Jumps – 2023 Winner)
Kenneth Ikeji, Harvard (Throws)
Shaun Maswanganyi, Houston (Sprints)
Leo Neugebauer, Texas (Combined Events – 2023 Finalist)
Godson Oghenebrume, LSU (Sprints)
Wayne Pinnock, Arkansas (Jumps)
Ky Robinson, Stanford (Distance)
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