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2025 Track & Field Roster
Michael Pinckney
- Height:
- 6-5
- Class:
- Junior
- High School:
- High School for Construction Trades, Engineering and Architecture
- Hometown:
- Queens, N.Y.
Bio
TFRRS Profile
Career Highlights
2025 First Team All-America (Discus)
2025 First Team Outdoor All-Big Ten (Discus)
2024 Second Team All-America (Discus)
2025
Earned First Team All-America honors after finishing fifth in the discus at the Outdoor NCAA Championships with a mark of 61.39m (201-5) ... Became the first Bruin to score in the men's discus since 2019, and his mark was the longest by a UCLA thrower at NCAAs since 2014 ... His longest discus throw of the year came at the Oklahoma Throws Series on April 13, as he hit 62.28m (204-4) to land at No. 6 on UCLA's all-time outdoor top-10 list ... Named to the All-Big Ten Conference First Team after winning the discus at the 2025 Outdoor Big Ten Championships ... Lone Bruin to win a gold medal at UCLA's first trip to Outdoor Big Tens ... At NCAA West Regionals, was fourth in the discus (60.88m / 199-9) and narrowly missed out on qualifying for NCAAs in the hammer after placing 15th with a PB mark of 64.91m (212-11) ... That hammer mark at Regionals was good for No. 8 in UCLA school history ... Besides his gold medal in discus, he finished 11th in the hammer at Outdoor B1Gs with a mark of 64.10m (210-4) ... Scored in three events, including a win in the discus (60.01m / 196-10) and runner-up in the hammer (63.18m / 207-3) to help UCLA to a dual meet win over crosstown rival USC at Drake Stadium on May 4 ... Had a double in the shot put (16.96m / 55-7.75) and discus (57.41m / 188-4) while finishing runner-up in the hammer at the Rafer Johnson/Jackie Joyner-Kersee Invite on April 5 ... Totaled six event wins over the course of outdoor season, five in the discus and one in the shot put ... Entered six meets during indoor season ... Competed at the Indoor Big Ten Championships, highlighted by a fourth-place finish in the weight throw with a season-best mark of 21.89m (71-10) ... Won the weight throw at the Arkansas Qualifier meet (21.72m / 71-3.25) and Spokane Showcase (20.78m / 68-2.25) ... Named to the UCLA Athletic Director's Honor Roll for spring quarter.
2024
Earned Second Team All-America honors in the men's discus after finishing ninth at NCAAs with a mark of 58.98m (193-6) ... Second-place finisher at the 2024 Pac-12 Championships in the discus with a mark of 58.43m (191-8) ... Only competed in two regular season meets, and five overall, during the outdoor season ... Did not compete during indoor season.
2023
Appeared in nine indoor events for the Bruins during his inaugural indoor campaign, competing in the shot put and weight throw events … Held UCLA’s top mark in both events for the indoor season … Debuted at the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Invitational with a third-place finish in the weight throw … All five marks he recorded in the weight throw would have made it onto the indoor all-time top 10 list … Launched a throw of 22.05m (72-04.25) at his old stomping grounds, The Armory, at the Dr. Sander Invitational to win the weight throw event … Set UCLA’s new indoor school record with the throw, and is the only Bruin to throw over 72 feet in indoor competition … Threw a mark over 72 feet in two meets … Placed 11th in the nation at the USATF Indoor National Championships in February, throwing 20.61m … Recorded a team-season-best mark of 17.33m (56-10.25) in the shot put at the Ken Shannon Last Chance Invite in late February … Threw shot put, hammer and discus in 17 appearances during the outdoor campaign … Opened the season with third-place finishes in both the hammer throw (62.25m, 204-03) and discus events (55.56m, 182-03) at the Ben Brown Invitational on March 10 … Placed second at the USC Dual Meet in the shot put (15.65m, 51-04.25) and the discus (56.96m, 186-10.00) events, scoring for UCLA … The Bruins defeated the Trojans 88-70 to defend Drake Stadium … Threw his season-best mark in the shot put at the Pac-12 Championships (17.60m, 57-09.00) to finish eighth in the Conference … Also placed 11th in the hammer throw (61.95m, 203-03) and 13th in the discus (53.25m, 174-08) … Capped his freshman campaign placing 19th in the west in the discus event at the 2023 NCAA West Regional meet ... Pinckney captured gold in the hammer throw event at the USATF U20 Outdoor Championships, throwing 67.03m (219-11) on his first attempt … He is the first Bruin since Otito Ogbonnia to earn a gold medal at a U20 meet (2019 Pan American U20 Championships; shot put) … Pinckney also was the national runner up in the shot put event, throwing 19.21m (63-00.25) and placed sixth in the discus event … Pinckney competed in the hammer throw and shot put events at the Pan American U20 Track & Field Championships in Puerto Rico … Representing Team USA, Pinckney earned a silver medal in the shot put and finished fifth in the hammer throw.
High School
Lettered four years at the High School for Construction Trades, Engineering and Architecture ... Named the 2019 USATF New York Athlete of the Year for boy's field events in 2020 and 2021 ... Three-time League MVP of the Year for field events (2x indoor, 1x outdoor) ... New Balance All-American ... 2022 Gatorade Player of the Year for New York ... 2022 Junior Olympics regional champion in the discus ... Member of Eclipse Track Club.
Personal
Born in Queens, New York to parents Michael and Samantha Pinckney ... Has two brothers, Mekhi and Pride, and a sister, Malyn ... Chose UCLA because he wanted “to pursue very rigorous academic career as well as competitive athletic career. At UCLA I plan to graduate with a degree in civil engineering or urban and regional planning. I also plan to leave as an elite athlete in my position” ... Admires Deon Sanders, Ray Lewis, Kibwe Johnson, Darell Hill, Fredrick Dacres, Alex Young ... Enjoys swimming, biking, driving in his free time ... His career objective is designing and executing structural works that serve the general public, including bridges, canals, dams, harbors, lighthouses, roads, tunnels, and environmental work.
Career Highlights
2025 First Team All-America (Discus)
2025 First Team Outdoor All-Big Ten (Discus)
2024 Second Team All-America (Discus)
2025
Earned First Team All-America honors after finishing fifth in the discus at the Outdoor NCAA Championships with a mark of 61.39m (201-5) ... Became the first Bruin to score in the men's discus since 2019, and his mark was the longest by a UCLA thrower at NCAAs since 2014 ... His longest discus throw of the year came at the Oklahoma Throws Series on April 13, as he hit 62.28m (204-4) to land at No. 6 on UCLA's all-time outdoor top-10 list ... Named to the All-Big Ten Conference First Team after winning the discus at the 2025 Outdoor Big Ten Championships ... Lone Bruin to win a gold medal at UCLA's first trip to Outdoor Big Tens ... At NCAA West Regionals, was fourth in the discus (60.88m / 199-9) and narrowly missed out on qualifying for NCAAs in the hammer after placing 15th with a PB mark of 64.91m (212-11) ... That hammer mark at Regionals was good for No. 8 in UCLA school history ... Besides his gold medal in discus, he finished 11th in the hammer at Outdoor B1Gs with a mark of 64.10m (210-4) ... Scored in three events, including a win in the discus (60.01m / 196-10) and runner-up in the hammer (63.18m / 207-3) to help UCLA to a dual meet win over crosstown rival USC at Drake Stadium on May 4 ... Had a double in the shot put (16.96m / 55-7.75) and discus (57.41m / 188-4) while finishing runner-up in the hammer at the Rafer Johnson/Jackie Joyner-Kersee Invite on April 5 ... Totaled six event wins over the course of outdoor season, five in the discus and one in the shot put ... Entered six meets during indoor season ... Competed at the Indoor Big Ten Championships, highlighted by a fourth-place finish in the weight throw with a season-best mark of 21.89m (71-10) ... Won the weight throw at the Arkansas Qualifier meet (21.72m / 71-3.25) and Spokane Showcase (20.78m / 68-2.25) ... Named to the UCLA Athletic Director's Honor Roll for spring quarter.
2024
Earned Second Team All-America honors in the men's discus after finishing ninth at NCAAs with a mark of 58.98m (193-6) ... Second-place finisher at the 2024 Pac-12 Championships in the discus with a mark of 58.43m (191-8) ... Only competed in two regular season meets, and five overall, during the outdoor season ... Did not compete during indoor season.
2023
Appeared in nine indoor events for the Bruins during his inaugural indoor campaign, competing in the shot put and weight throw events … Held UCLA’s top mark in both events for the indoor season … Debuted at the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Invitational with a third-place finish in the weight throw … All five marks he recorded in the weight throw would have made it onto the indoor all-time top 10 list … Launched a throw of 22.05m (72-04.25) at his old stomping grounds, The Armory, at the Dr. Sander Invitational to win the weight throw event … Set UCLA’s new indoor school record with the throw, and is the only Bruin to throw over 72 feet in indoor competition … Threw a mark over 72 feet in two meets … Placed 11th in the nation at the USATF Indoor National Championships in February, throwing 20.61m … Recorded a team-season-best mark of 17.33m (56-10.25) in the shot put at the Ken Shannon Last Chance Invite in late February … Threw shot put, hammer and discus in 17 appearances during the outdoor campaign … Opened the season with third-place finishes in both the hammer throw (62.25m, 204-03) and discus events (55.56m, 182-03) at the Ben Brown Invitational on March 10 … Placed second at the USC Dual Meet in the shot put (15.65m, 51-04.25) and the discus (56.96m, 186-10.00) events, scoring for UCLA … The Bruins defeated the Trojans 88-70 to defend Drake Stadium … Threw his season-best mark in the shot put at the Pac-12 Championships (17.60m, 57-09.00) to finish eighth in the Conference … Also placed 11th in the hammer throw (61.95m, 203-03) and 13th in the discus (53.25m, 174-08) … Capped his freshman campaign placing 19th in the west in the discus event at the 2023 NCAA West Regional meet ... Pinckney captured gold in the hammer throw event at the USATF U20 Outdoor Championships, throwing 67.03m (219-11) on his first attempt … He is the first Bruin since Otito Ogbonnia to earn a gold medal at a U20 meet (2019 Pan American U20 Championships; shot put) … Pinckney also was the national runner up in the shot put event, throwing 19.21m (63-00.25) and placed sixth in the discus event … Pinckney competed in the hammer throw and shot put events at the Pan American U20 Track & Field Championships in Puerto Rico … Representing Team USA, Pinckney earned a silver medal in the shot put and finished fifth in the hammer throw.
High School
Lettered four years at the High School for Construction Trades, Engineering and Architecture ... Named the 2019 USATF New York Athlete of the Year for boy's field events in 2020 and 2021 ... Three-time League MVP of the Year for field events (2x indoor, 1x outdoor) ... New Balance All-American ... 2022 Gatorade Player of the Year for New York ... 2022 Junior Olympics regional champion in the discus ... Member of Eclipse Track Club.
Personal
Born in Queens, New York to parents Michael and Samantha Pinckney ... Has two brothers, Mekhi and Pride, and a sister, Malyn ... Chose UCLA because he wanted “to pursue very rigorous academic career as well as competitive athletic career. At UCLA I plan to graduate with a degree in civil engineering or urban and regional planning. I also plan to leave as an elite athlete in my position” ... Admires Deon Sanders, Ray Lewis, Kibwe Johnson, Darell Hill, Fredrick Dacres, Alex Young ... Enjoys swimming, biking, driving in his free time ... His career objective is designing and executing structural works that serve the general public, including bridges, canals, dams, harbors, lighthouses, roads, tunnels, and environmental work.
Bruin Insider Show - DeShaun Foster (Sept. 10, 2025)
Wednesday, September 10
Cinematic Recap - UCLA W. Soccer vs. Stanford (Sept. 7, 2025)
Wednesday, September 10
UCLA Football Media Availability - Ikaika Malloe (Sept. 9, 2025)
Tuesday, September 09
UCLA Football Media Availability - Anthony Jones (Sept. 9, 2025)
Tuesday, September 09
