EUGENE, Ore. – It may not have been her farthest throw ever, but for Elena Bruckner, a volunteer assistant coach for California track & field, it was arguably the greatest performance of her professional career.
 
Taking to the circle against the nation's top discus throwers on Sunday at the USA Track & Field (USATF) Outdoor Championships, Bruckner, the No. 4 seed in the competition, launched the platter 58.33m (191-4) in a gutsy third-place performance to claim her first senior national medal and punch her ticket to the IAAF (World Athletics) Championships in August.
 
The Texas graduate returned to her native Bay Area in 2022 to train with legendary Golden Bear assistant coach Mohamad Saatara and offer her expertise to Cal's elite throws squad. She does have experience on the world stage, having competed in both the shot put and discus at the 2016 U20 IAAF World Championships and finishing seventh in each; now, she will become one of four Cal-affiliated throwers (along with Camryn Rogers, Mykolas Alekna and Anna Purchase) slated to make an appearance at the biggest competition of them all.

"Elena worked very diligently on improving her technical mastery and competitiveness this year, and it has paid off," Saatara said. "She is always positive and a great leader. It's always fun working with her. She sets a great example for our team, and it's so wonderful to have her in our program."
 
On the track, distance runner Caden Carney, who will be a sophomore in the 2023-24 season, shaved over a second and a half off his qualifying round time in the men's U20 1500m final. The young up-and-comer finished fifth out of the final 12 athletes at 3:51.87, showing great promise for the future as he prepares for his second season with the Bears.
 
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