Throwing West

For the second time in as many years, a local throwing star will be heading to a college power to continue their career.

Walled Lake Central's Cullen Prena made the decision last weekend to throw for the University of Oregon, arguably the nation's best track and field program and has been for decades.

Prena will be joining former Birmingham Detroit Country Day girls thrower, Brittany Mann, who is in her freshman season with the Ducks.

Last season as a junior, Prena shattered the Oakland County discus record on multiple occasions, breaking the previous record of 182 feet, set over 30 years ago as he finished with a season best mark, 187-feet-7, which ranked among the top-10 in the nation.

At the Division 1 track and field state meet, Prena finished in second place with a throw of 173-6, just five feet short of the first place throw.

Prena is also one of the state's best shot putters in the state as he put together a third place effort at the state meet as a junior, finishing with a throw of 54-6.5, which measure just over a foot short of the top throw in the event and had a personal best throw of 55-7 during his junior season.

After the high school season, Prena went on to capture a USATF Junior Olympic National Track and Field discus title with a toss of 185-4, which was over seven feet further than the second place finisher.

Without a doubt, Oregon picked up yet another Oakland County throwing gem for the second straight year, first with Mann and now with Prena

Prena's older sisters, Kari (Michigan) and Kelsey (Michigan State), are Division 1 college throwers after finishing their high school careers at Walled Lake Central.