Swedish standout and former Florida State All-American has big impact for Golden Bears, achieving lifetime-best 201-7 (61.44m) effort in the sixth round for best collegiate mark in meet history; Wisconsin’s Spencer prevails in 800 in 1:47.47 before leaving for Australian national team trials, with Washington State’s Caicedo clocking wind-legal 12.93 in 100 hurdles, San Jose State’s Snow sweeping 100 and 110 hurdles, and Stanford’s Wright taking 100, 200 and 4x400 relay

By Erik Boal, DyeStat Editor

Photos by Ken Martinez

PALO ALTO, Calif. – It was a discus throw performance that would have made Valarie Allman proud, even if it came from an athlete representing a rival program.

And it was a Cal discus debut that even exceeded the initial impact of collegiate record holder Mykolas Alekna.

Caisa-Marie Lindfors, a Swedish athlete and former Florida State All-American, competing in the discus for the first time for the Golden Bears, produced the program record in the sixth round of the women’s invitational competition with a lifetime-best 201 feet, 7 inches (61.44m) at the Stanford Invitational at Cobb Track and Angell Field.

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Lindfors, who competed twice in the shot put for Cal during the winter indoor season, elevated to the No. 3 all-time Swedish discus competitor and ascended to the No. 22 performer in collegiate history, just behind Florida’s Alida Van Daalen, with the Dutch athlete also achieving a personal-best 202-11 (61.84m) on Friday at the Pepsi Florida Relays to climb to No. 21 overall.

With Michaela Hawkins of Colorado State achieving a 200-2 (61.02m) performance March 22 at the USC Trojan Invitational, it marks the first time three female discus throwers have both surpassed 200 feet in March in collegiate history.

Lindfors’ effort was the best by any collegiate competitor in meet history, including former Stanford star Allman, the 2021 Olympic gold medalist.

Only former U.S. champion, UCLA graduate and ASICS professional athlete Suzy Powell achieved a better discus mark at the Stanford Invitational in 2007 with her 208-8 (63.60m) performance.

The only time Allman surpassed Lindfors’ mark competing at Cobb Track and Angell Field was during her unattached season in 2017, when she achieved the facility record with a 212-3 (64.69m) effort at the Cardinal Classic.

Alekna’s discus debut for Cal was also at Cobb Track and Angell Field, winning the Cardinal Classic with a 205-6 (62.63m) performance. The Lithuanian star has more than 30 throws better than that mark during his career with the Golden Bears.

Wake Forest senior Leia Braunagel, representing Germany, also produced a personal-best throw with her fourth-round mark of 189-9 (57.85m) to place second Saturday behind Lindfors. Six athletes surpassed 180 feet in the competition.

Wake Forest also received a big performance from Thomas Kitchell in the men’s invitational shot put, as he rallied to win with a sixth-round effort of 61-7 (18.77m), holding off Nick Godbehere of Cal at 60-5.75 (18.43m).

Adam Spencer also left a lasting impression Saturday, with the Wisconsin standout winning the top section of the men’s 800 meters in 1:47.47 in his final race before traveling to Australia for the national team trials to determine the roster for the Paris Olympics.

Spencer, who prevailed against Oregon teammates Elliott Cook (1:47.91) and Matthew Erickson (1:47.95), is scheduled to race in the 1,500 meters, with competition beginning April 11.

Stanford star Ky Robinson, the reigning NCAA Division 1 champion in the men’s 5,000 and 10,000 meters, competed in both events Friday in an effort to secure his qualifying marks for the West Regional in May, since he is also traveling to Australia in an attempt to represent his country this summer in Paris.

Raevyn Rogers, a Nike professional athlete, won the top section of the women’s 800 in 2:02.57, with Washington’s Chloe Foerster (2:03.34) and Brigham Young’s Riley Chamberlain (2:04.32) returning from taking the top two spots Friday in the 1,500 to place second and third at the shorter distance.

Washington State’s Maribel Caicedo, representing Ecuador, ran a wind-legal 12.93 seconds to win the women’s 100-meter hurdles, producing the first sub-13 effort of her career.

Caicedo also helped the Cougars prevail in the women’s 4x100-meter relay in 44.67.

Washington State also triumphed in the men’s 4x100 relay in 39.95.

San Jose State freshman Malachi Snow achieved a remarkable double, winning the men’s 110-meter hurdles and 100-meter dash less than 15 minutes apart.

Snow clocked a wind-legal 13.50 in the 110 hurdles and then returned to triumph in the 100 in a wind-legal 10.27.

Following her victory Friday in the 200 in a wind-legal 23.54, Cydney Wright completed the sweep Saturday for Stanford by running a wind-legal 11.51 in the 100.

Wright also contributed to the Cardinal emerging victorious in the 4x400-meter relay in 3:32.63, teaming with Maya Valmon, Roisin Willis and Juliette Whittaker.

Cal Poly prevailed in the men’s 4x400 relay by a 3:12.63 to 3:13.05 margin against Fresno Pacific.

Lexi Ellis, a former Oregon All-American representing LSKD and CTG Development, triumphed in the women’s invitational triple jump with a third-round mark of 43-9.25 (13.34m).

Kieran McKeag, a former competitor at Alabama and Minnesota during his collegiate career, won the men’s invitational hammer throw with a fifth-round effort of 227-7 (69.37m).

Utah State’s Logan Hammer edged Stanford’s Garrett Brown on fewer attempts in the men’s invitational pole vault, clearing 17-5.50 (5.32m) on his first opportunity. Brown needed three tries to extend the competition.

Tim White, a former Arizona State athlete, won the men’s invitational triple jump with a sixth-round performance of 52-0.75 (15.87m).