Weekend Recap: Discus CR For Alekna, Plus Great Relay Action At Penn And Drake Relays

Editor’s note: This recap will be updated throughout the weekend.

Relay Weekend is upon us!

From The USTFCCCA InfoZone: Meets & Results | Records & Lists

Here are some highlights from a busy weekend of collegiate track & field.

Alekna Blasts A Big CR In The Big Meet

Mykolas Alekna bettered his own collegiate record in the discus throw at the 128th edition of “The Big Meet,” adding more than 2 meters (7 feet) with a third-round effort of 71.00m (232-11).

That topped his own CR of 68.73m (225-6) from last year’s Pac-12 meet. His very first CR came in last year’s Big Meet at 67.68m (222-1). Alekna’s historic also bettered his own all-dates collegiate best of 69.81m (229-1) from last summer at the Stockholm Diamond League Meeting.

The series for Alekna: 63.29m (207-7), 67.25m (220-7), 71.00m (232-11), foul, 66.21m (217-2), pass.

Distance Medley Records Survive At Penn

The venerable women’s and men’s distance medley relay collegiate records – set at the Penn Relays in 1988 (10:48.48) and 1989 (9:20.10), respectively – lived another day.

In rainy conditions Friday at Franklin Field in the 127th Penn Relays, Stanford’s women came closest to a record, running 10:50.56 to win its first Penn Relays wheel in the event over Oklahoma State (10:53.18) as those quartets moved to Nos. 5 and 7 on the all-time outdoor collegiate list.

The Cardinal foursome of Melissa Tanaka (3:19.93), Maya Valmon (52.15), Roisin Willis (2:04.83) and Juliette Whittaker (4:33.67) ran alone the last six laps. Cowgirl anchor Billah Jepkirui had the fastest 1600 split at 4:32.73.

In the men’s race, Wisconsin took control only on the final homestretch, with Adam Spencer finishing off his 4:02.80 anchor to bring the Badgers home in 9:33.82 over Villanova (9:34.83). It was Wisconsin’s third Penn Relays win in the event – their others came in 1916 and 2019. Spencer was preceded by Jackson Sharp (2:56.22), Colin Enz (47.69) and Abdullahi Hassan (1:47.13).

Villanova Wins Dramatic Men’s 4xMile At Penn

Villanova added a tricycle to go along with its 18-wheeler.

The Wildcats captured their 21st wheel in program history in the College Men’s 4xMile Championship of America at the Penn Relays.

Villanova won a kicker’s race in 16:14.03, as the top-6 teams all finished within 0.64 seconds of each other. The Wildcats added another all-time top-10 collegiate performance in the event, which was just off their 49-year-old school record of 16:10.6 set back at the 1974 Penn Relays.

Wisconsin (16:24.24), Washington (16:14.31), Virginia (16:14.48), Georgetown (16:14.64) and Duke (16:14.67) finished in order behind Villanova. All five of those programs are now in the all-time collegiate top-10.

Minnesota State Crushes DII Women’s Sprint Medley Record At Drake

Minnesota State swept the women’s and men’s sprint medley relays at the 113th Drake Relays, with the women’s foursome demolishing its own NCAA Division II record with a time of 3:53.52 as the Mavericks won by nearly seven seconds.

The quartet of Makayla Jackson, Rose Cramer, Denisha Cartwright and MaKenna Thurston obliterated the previous mark of 3:58.40 set in winning this meet in 2019. Some 15 minutes after the women’s race, the Maverick men completed the MSU sweep, winning in 3:21.47.

Loras Smashes Own DIII Men’s 4×800 Relay Best At Drake

Wyatt Kelly + Ryan Harvey + Carter Oberfoell + Mike Jasa.

1:52.29 + 1:51.28 + 1:50.45 + 1:48.16.

What do both of those equations equal? A record.

Loras made quick work of the Men’s 4×800 Relay at the Drake Relays on Thursday afternoon, as it got the stick around in 7:22.17 to obliterate its own DIII record and set a Drake Relays all-time best as well. The Duhawks ended up running the equivalent of a time trial since they were up three seconds after the first exchange and ended up winning by 12 more.

Alfred Sizzles In Texas

Julien Alfred won comfortably at her home Texas Invitational, clocking 10.95 to win the 100 meters and continuing her year-long undefeated string of dashes. With a wind reading of just 1.8 m/s, her time is also the fastest wind-legal mark by a collegian this year.

Stona Solid In Discus At LSU

Despite damp conditions, Rone Stona of Arkansas launched the farthest discus effort of his career on his final effort at the LSU Invitational. With a final-round throw of 67.02m (219-10) he also became =No. 4 all-time collegian while overtaking teammate Ralford Mullings and LSU’s Claudio Romero. Romero – whom Stona tied on the all-time list – was NCAA champion last year while at Virginia.