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Former Cal star Mykolas Alekna, just four months removed from a torn pectoral muscle injury that threatened his 2026 season, beat the best in the world in the mens discus at the 51st annual Prefontaine Classic at Eugene, Ore., on Saturday.
The world-recordholder from Lithuania, in just his second competition since returning to action last month, threw a season-best mark of 233 feet, 2 inches (71.06 meters).
That gave him a margin of nearly 4 feet over Slovenias Kristjan Ceh, who finished second after a third-round toss of 229-5 (69.94).
A silver-medalist at the 2024 Paris Olympics, Alekna broke the 38-year-old world record in the discus that season, then eclipsed his standard in 2025 with a throw of 247-10 (75.56).
Alekna made his return from injury this season on June 16 at a meet in Estonia, throwing 231-7 (70.60) to win.
He beat Ceh, the 2022 world champ who set a personal best of 238-2 (72.61) this year, and Jamaicas Roje Stona, the 2024 Paris Olympic champion.
Stona was third on Saturday at 221-2 (67.42) in a field that included eight 70-meter throwers, including Swedish veteran Daniel Stahl, the 2021 Tokyo Olympic gold medalist.
Meanwhile, Cal alum and reigning Olympic champ Camryn Rogers settled for second place after fouls on three of her six attempts.
Rogers, who won three NCAA titles and set the collegiate record for the Golden Bears, led through five rounds with an opening throw of 255-3 (77.81).
But Jiale Zhang, a 20-year old from China, threw a career-best 255-8 (77.94) on her final attempt to beat Rogers by 5 inches.
The 27-year-old Canadian resides at No.
2 on the all-time world list with a heave of 266-2 (81.13).
Georgia Hunter Bell, the British middle-distance star who ran for Cal a decade ago, was never a threat to win in the womens mile, finishing eighth place, albeit with a personal-best of 4:18.52.
Hunter Bell was the bronze medalist in the 1,500 at the 2024 Paris Games and won silver in the 800 at the World Championships last year.
American Nikki Hiltz was an upset winner in the race over Kenyas Faith Kipyegon, the world-recordholder in both the 1,500 and mile.
Hiltz ran a world-leading time of 4:17.49 and Kipyegon wound up third with her first defeat in five years over either middle-distance event.
In action Friday night, former Cal standout and 2024 Olympian Rowan Hamilton finished sixth in the mens hammer throw.
The 26-year-old Canadian, who won the NCAA title in his lone season at Cal in 2024, threw 248-1(75.63).
His countryman Ethan Katzberg, the reigning Olympic champ, won the event with a meet-record mark of 273-4 (83.33), best in the world this year.
Follow Jeff Faraudo on Twitter, Facebook and Bluesky Jeff Faraudo was a sports writer for Bay Area daily newspapers since he was 17 years old, and was the Oakland Tribune's Cal beat writer for 24 years.
He covered eight Final Fours, four NBA Finals and four Summer Olympics.