AUSTIN, Texas – Cal triple jumper Tuomas Kaukolahti was determined to come back from last year's disappointment at the NCAA Track & Field Championship and he did so by equaling his personal best in the biggest meet of the year.
 
On the third day of the NCAA Championship at Mike A. Myers Stadium, Kaukolahti jumped 16.50m/54-1.75 to equal the mark he set at the Big Meet earlier this year. The junior hit that mark on his second jump to get as high as fifth place in the competition. However, he ultimately finished in eighth place to tally a point for the Bears and earn First Team All-America honors. That mark is also the sixth-best leap in school history.
 
Last season, Kaukolahti leaped 15.53m/50-11.50 to finish 18th. He was able to better that by more than three feet, and finish 10 spots better in the standings this season. He crossed the 16.00m mark three times in the 2019 edition, including a leap of 16.26/53-4.25, which is the fourth-best jump of his career.
 
Kaukolahti wasn't the only Bear to compete as Iffy Joyner took to the discus ring to represent Cal. The redshirt freshman threw 55.16m/181-0 as he took 18th in a loaded competition. Joyner entered with the 18th-best prelims mark amongst the qualifiers and equaled that on Friday evening. He will collect honorable mention All-America honors to conclude a fantastic freshman season in which he set the freshman record in the discus. He was able to do that earlier this year at the Big Meet as he recorded a mark of 59.07/193-9, which also ranks ninth in school history.
 
That will bring an end to the 2019 outdoor track & field season for Cal. The Bears finish with one point on the men's side and 10 points in the women's competition. The men finished in a tie for 61st place. The women concluded the NCAA Championships in a tie for 25th place thanks to 10 points from Camryn Rogers. 

The Bears will finish the season with one NCAA champion (Rogers), two Pac-12 Champions (Rogers, Kaukolahti), two first team All-Americans (Rogers, Kaukolahti), two second team All-Americans (Silviu Bocancea, Misana Viltz) and four honorable mention All-Americans (Rebecca Croft, Zion Corrales Nelson, Joyner and Paramveer Chohan).
 
This was also the final meet in the career of director of track & field/cross country Tony Sandoval. Cal's director for the past 12 seasons will be retiring at the end of the season after dedicating 37 years to the Cal athletics department.
 
Wednesday's Results
Men
110m Hurdles Semifinal: 16. Misana Viltz, 13.87
400m Hurdles Semifinal: 23. Paramveer Chohan, 52.36
Hammer Throw Final: 9. Silviu Bocancea, 68.50m/224-9
 
Thursday's Results
Women
200m Semifinal: 18. Zion Corrales Nelson, 23.24
800m Semifinal: 17. Rebecca Croft, 2:05.57
Hammer Throw Final: 1. Camryn Rogers, 71.50m/234-7
 
Friday's Results
Men
Triple Jump Final: 8. Tuomas Kaukolahti, 16.50m/54-1.75
Discus Final: 18. Iffy Joyner, 55.16m/181-0