Mya Lesnar, a senior from Colorado State University, captured nationwide attention on June 12, 2025, by winning the NCAA Division I Outdoor Shot Put title at Hayward Field in Eugene, Oregon. The achievement for Brock Lesnar‘s daughter Mya Lesnar NCAA victory recognition became even more notable when former President Donald Trump publicly praised her win, stirring conversation about her legacy and family ties.
Mya Lesnar dominated the field in her final collegiate competition, debuting with an initial throw of 19.01 meters. This effort sent a clear message to her rivals as she held her lead with a secondary mark of 18.87 meters, narrowly surpassing runner-up Abria Smith. This victory sealed a remarkable collegiate journey, placing her among the top throwers at the national level.
While her achievement alone would have been headline news, the story took an unexpected turn a week later. On June 19, Donald Trump posted a photo collage of Mya with her NCAA trophy alongside a picture with Brock Lesnar. He wrote,
Congratulations to Mya Lesnar on the WIN— Great Genetics!
—Donald Trump, Former President. Trump’s congratulatory remark referenced both her sports prowess and her famous lineage.
Brock Lesnar, who himself claimed the 2000 NCAA Division I heavyweight wrestling title for the University of Minnesota with a near-perfect 31–1 record, has long set a high bar for athletic achievement. President Trump’s direct outreach to Mya, despite not sharing a personal connection, appeared motivated by his known appreciation for both professional wrestling and Brock Lesnar’s career. This bridge between the world of wrestling and presidential recognition reinforced the singularity of Mya’s NCAA feat.
How Mya Lesnar Responded to Presidential Attention
Responding to the high-profile recognition, Mya Lesnar shared a screenshot of Trump’s social media post to her Instagram story and wrote,
THANK YOU MR. PRESIDENT. GOD BLESS AMERICA
—Mya Lesnar, NCAA Champion. She further tagged the former president in her story, highlighting the rare moment of direct acknowledgment from a U.S. president to a collegiate athlete.
Moments like these are particularly rare, with few NCAA champions across any sport receiving congratulatory messages from presidents. The event underlined the public fascination not only with Mya’s athletic rise but also with her distinguished family background. Trump’s link to professional wrestling, as a WWE Hall of Famer inducted in 2013 and participant in the iconic Battle of the Billionaires at WrestleMania 23—where he famously witnessed Vince McMahon’s head being shaved after Bobby Lashley’s victory over Umaga—added a layer of pop culture crossover to Mya’s story.
Trump’s past interactions with fighters further demonstrate his awareness of the world surrounding Brock Lesnar. During a 2021 Triller MMA broadcast, Trump asked Junior dos Santos about competing with Lesnar, to which Dos Santos stated,
He was a bull. Coming very fast against you, so strong, so powerful. And he has some good speed for that size.
—Junior dos Santos, Former UFC Heavyweight Champion. This exchange was another reminder of Brock Lesnar’s powerful reputation in both wrestling and mixed martial arts, a backdrop for Mya’s own journey in athletics.
Mya Lesnar’s Journey to Writing Her Own Legacy
Despite her father’s larger-than-life legacy spanning the UFC, WWE, and NCAA wrestling, Mya Lesnar has consistently forged her own path. She began her collegiate career at Arizona State before transferring to Colorado State, where her dominance quickly became evident. In the 2023–24 season, she shattered the Mountain West indoor shot put record with a 19.10-meter throw and went on to win the NCAA Indoor Championship at 18.53 meters—the first time a women’s indoor field athlete at CSU had claimed a national title.
Building on her momentum, Mya secured the 2024 Mountain West Outdoor title with a throw of 19.08 meters, earning recognition as Female Athlete of the Year in the conference. Her incredible 19.60-meter throw at the 2025 Doug Max Invitational not only broke all previous CSU records but also set a new standard for facility achievements.
Culminating her collegiate career with a flawless opening throw at the NCAA Outdoor Championships, Mya Lesnar became a two-time national champion, a four-time Mountain West winner, and achieved two decades’ worth of outstanding accolades for Colorado State. These triumphs placed her among the most decorated athletes in CSU program history, ensuring her impact would be felt long after graduation.
Stepping Out from Her Father’s Shadow
As attention centered on whether Mya’s victories were due to her “great genetics” or individual brilliance, her own reflections clarified her unique identity. In a press conference ahead of the Paris Olympics in July 2024, she offered her perspective:
I think I’ve been in his shadow for so many years, which is cool, I guess, but honestly, to me, at the end of the day, what I want people to know is he’s dad to me. I honestly don’t look at him as this superstar of a person. Him just being in my corner, and now me kind of being in the spotlight and him in my shadow a little bit, watching me, I think that’s super cool.
—Mya Lesnar, NCAA Champion.
This candid acknowledgment revealed her process of stepping into her own spotlight, even while recognizing the familial support behind her. In transitioning from being known primarily as Brock Lesnar’s daughter to making history in her right, Mya’s journey has captured attention far beyond collegiate track and field circles.
As Mya Lesnar closes out her college career, her story stands as proof that dedication, talent, and perseverance can propel an athlete beyond expectations, even under the gaze of a famous parent. With a future possibly including international competitions like the Paris Olympics, Mya’s athletic legacy—reinforced by her NCAA victory and national recognition—shows no signs of shrinking back into the shadows.
