EUGENE, Ore. – California track & field will send four representatives to compete at their respective national championships this weekend as the heart of summer competition gets underway. The Toyota USATF Outdoor Championships and USATF U20 Outdoor Championships will once again be held this year at Hayward Field in Eugene, Ore., from July 6-9, and will feature three Cal-affiliated athletes, while one standout alumnus will head overseas to Manchester, England, to challenge for her own country's title.
 
Dual shot putters and discus throwers Nick Godbehere and Nik Iwankiw both redshirted last season and are among the top entries at this year's USATF U20 Championships. Godbehere, who set both of his season's top marks at the Golden West Invitational in early June, is the No. 2-ranked entry in the shot put (19.35m/63-6) and No. 7 in the discus (55.08m/180-8) while Iwankiw is ranked fifth of all entries in the shot put (18.47m/60-7.25) and sixth in the discus (56.24m/184-6). On the track will be Caden Carney in the 1500m contest; his Stanford Invitational-winning time of 3:46.35 puts him at third-best in the field at the U20 Championships. Should any of them finish in the top two in their respective events, they will be eligible to compete in the upcoming Pan American U20 Athletics Championships (Aug. 4-6; Mayaguez, Puerto Rico)
 
At the senior level of the competition is volunteer assistant coach Elena Bruckner, who has continued to compete on the track & field circuit in addition to fulfilling her staff duties. She has broken the 60-meter barrier four times in the discus this season, including her career-best 61.51m (201-9) mark from the Mt. SAC Relays in April. This will be her first career appearance at the main USATF Championships, having twice competed at the U20 iteration of the meet. Now, Bruckner will go up against the best discus throwers in the nation in hopes of clinching a coveted spot at the World Championships, which will take place in Budapest, Hungary from Aug. 18-27.
 
Alumna Anna Purchase, who finished third in the hammer throw at the 2023 NCAA Outdoor Championships, will be competing for a national title of her own in her second pro meet. The second-best women's hammer thrower in British history with a personal best of 73.02m (230-6), Purchase is currently the top-ranked individual in the field at the UK Athletics Championships, where she will be competing on Saturday. Last Sunday, she finished second at the Edmonton Athletics Invitational with a mark of 70.37m (230-10) in her professional debut, surpassing 70 meters for the fifth time in her career. Purchase is currently in line for an appearance at the World Championships, ranking 20th out of the top-36 on the current World Athletics points list.
 
A number of other Golden Bears have continued to compete after the conclusion of the collegiate season. Fellow hammer throwing alumna Camryn Rogers is already well into her first professional campaign, having used up her eligibility with the Bears with the conclusion of the 2023 indoor season. Following her first two pro outings at the Brutus Hamilton Invitational and the Mt. SAC Relays, which she won with throws of 77.30m (253-7) and 77.84m (255-4), respectively, the three-time NCAA champion set her current PR and Canadian record of 78.62m (257-11) at the USATF Los Angeles Grand Prix to move up to fifth in the world all-time. Rogers competed at four European meets in the month of June, posting marks of 77.34m (253-1), 77.62m (245-8), 76.21m (250-0) and 76.57m (251-2) before most recently throwing 76.95m (252-5) at the Edmonton Athletics Invitational for a new Foote Field stadium record.
 
Discus star Mykolas Alekna, the current collegiate record-holder, started his slate of summer competition last Sunday against the world's best throwers at the BAUHAUS-galan Diamond League meet, where he posted a fourth-place mark of 66.91m (219-6) in rainy conditions. Teammate Audrey Jacobs, who set a Dutch U20 hammer record in the spring for the fourth-best throw in program history, participated in the European Team Championships in June and finished with a mark of 59.48m (195-1). Earlier in the month, javelin thrower and school record-holder Carolina Visca finished third (52.59m/172-6) at the Meeting Internazionale Città di Pergine, while pole vaulter Tyler Burns cleared the bar at 5.37m (17-7.25) at the Golden West Invitational.
 
 
USATF Senior/U20 Championships (All Times PT)
Friday, July 7
U20 Men's 1500m (First Round) – 3:45 p.m.
                  -Caden Carney (3:46.35)
 
Saturday, July 8
U20 Men's Shot Put – 1:15 p.m.
                  -Nick Godbehere (19.35m/63-6)
                  -Nik Iwankiw (18.47m/60-7.25)
U20 Men's Discus – 3:00 p.m.
                  -Nik Iwankiw (56.24m/184-6)
                  -Nick Godbehere (55.08m/180-8)
 
Sunday, July 9
U20 Men's 1500m (Final) – 3:12 p.m.
                  -Caden Carney (if qualified)
Senior Women's Discus – 5:00 p.m.
                  -Elena Bruckner (61.51m/201-9)
 
UK Athletics Championships
Saturday, July 8
Women's Hammer – 6:36 a.m. PT
                  -Anna Purchase (73.02m/239-6)
 
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