THE ’22 NCAA CHAMPS featured three frosh at the top of the podium in the men’s discus. This year’s comp boiled down to a rematch between two of them, Cal’s Mykolas Alekna and Oklahoma’s Ralford Mullings. Each took a very different path back to Eugene.
The trajectory of Alekna — WR holder, Olympic silver medalist, Worlds bronze medalist — has been the stuff of highlight reels. Mostly.
Mullings’ road the past 3 years was more convoluted, including three transfers — from Arizona State to Arkansas, and from there to Oklahoma where Maggie Bookout, the object of his affections, had committed to throw. The NCAA’s “4-4-4” rule forced him to redshirt the ’24 season, as this was his third transfer to a 4-year school. Also, an ankle injury had limited his distances in ’23. Along the way, he and Sooner throws coach Andrew Ninow studied aspects of Alekna’s technique and reaped benefits from the exercise: two comps over 69m (226-4) in ’24 and a 9th at the Olympics.
Neither Mullings nor Alekna had won an NCAA title, a résumé gap each hoped to rectify.
Alekna was third up when the competition began, and his first attempt looked like a safety throw, a nice easy toss out to 218-0 (66.44) that guaranteed a spot in the final.
Mullings tried to go big on his first and it backfired, shanking out of the sector to the left. Alekna in turn chunked his second throw and walked out the front of the ring in disgust. Mullings dialed back and hit 216-3 (65.92), sure to guarantee he’d get 6 throws.
Alekna’s third? A popup followed by another walk out the front. Mullings, in response, took full advantage knocking out a 222-1 (67.70) toss to take the lead.
It was by no means a death blow, but it might have been just enough to keep Alekna on edge, and he rifled his fourth throw foul outside the right sector. Mullings replied with another 216-3 (65.92).
In round 5, Alekna squeezed out maybe the lowest, flattest 219-0 (66.77) throw in history, a testament to his horsepower and his lingering discomfort. Mullings answered with 221-5 (67.48), showing the kind of consistency that sometimes foreshadows a big one.
Ninow warned Ralford not to start counting chickens. “Hey,” he told Mullings as round 6 began, “he’s going to pass you, so be ready to go get him!”
But Alekna put his last throw into the cage, allowing Mullings to take his final attempt relieved of all pressure. The result was a Meet Record 227-4 (69.31).
Of reaching his longest distance outside of wind-swept Ramona in the final frame, Mullings said, “I mean, that’s the point, you know, regardless of the position that I’m in, I’m trying to do my best in each throw. I mean, on the sixth throw I wasn’t perfect, but was able to go further, which, I mean, I’m glad, I’m grateful for that.”
MEN’S DISCUS RESULTS
(June 13)
1. *Ralford Mullings’ (Ok-Jam) 227-4 (69.31) (2, x C)
(f, 216-3, 222-1, 216-3, 221-5, 227-4) (f, 65.92, 67.70, 65.92, 67.48, 69.31);
2. *Mykolas Alekna’ (Cal-Lit) 219-0 (66.77)
(218-0, f, f, f, 219-0, f) (66.44, f, f, f, 66.77, f);
3. **Uladzislau Puchko’ (VaT-Blr) 209-9 (63.94) PR
(204-8, 197-0, 193-2, 201-1, 209-9, 204-10) (62.39, 60.05, 58.88, 61.31, 63.94, 62.44);
4. **Racquil Broderick’ (USC-Jam) 207-8 (63.31) PR
(189-8, 195-7, 197-9, 178-0, 207-8, 206-11) (57.83, 59.63, 60.28, 54.25, 63.31, 63.06);
5. *Michael Pinckney (UCLA) 201-5 (61.39)
(192-5, 201-5, 199-11, f, 189-4, f) (58.64, 61.39, 60.95, f, 57.72, f);
6. Dimítrios Pavlídis’ (Ks-Gre) 200-3 (61.04)
(200-3, 197-10, 197-1, f, 195-7, f) (61.04, 60.30, 60.09, f, 59.61, f);
7. Vincent Ugwoke’ (SFl-Ngr) 198-9 (60.58)
(f, 194-0, 198-9, 191-3, f, f) (f, 59.15, 60.58, 58.30, f, f);
8. **Aron Alvarez Aranda’ (Tn-SA) 196-5 (59.87)
(196-5, 176-9, 185-2, 183-3, 192-4, 192-4) (59.87, 53.89, 56.45, 55.86, 58.62, 58.63);
9. *Christopher Crawford’ (Al-Tri) 193-10 (59.08); 10. Jacob Lemmon (Fl) 193-9 (59.07); 11. *Desmond Coleman (Mia) 192-2 (58.58); 12. Youssef Koudssi’ (Az-Can) 191-4 (58.32); 13. *Casey Helm (Prin) 189-7 (57.79); 14. *Trevor Gunzell’ (Al-Jam) 188-8 (57.52); 15. *Christopher Young’ (Al-Jam) 187-9 (57.23); 16. Maxwell Otterdahl (Nb) 187-3 (57.07); 17. *Iosif Papa’ (UMBC-Cyp) 186-11 (56.98); 18. Aidan Elbettar (Or) 185-4 (56.49); 19. Paden Lewis (SEMo) 184-7 (56.27); 20. *Texas Tanner (AF) 182-11 (55.76); 21. Skylar Coffey (Mo) 182-4 (55.59); 22. Oscar Rodriguez (TxT) 181-1 (55.20); 23. *Seth Allen (Aub) 180-1 (54.88); 24. Tanner Watson (OhSt) 176-11 (53.92).
