Ever Since Jordan Geist stepped onto Wildcat territory, he has been exceeding everyone's expectations. In his collegiate debut, his first throw at NAU's Friday Night Duels earned him the No. 2 shot put mark in the country, which was also the No. 1 freshman mark. He launched the shot put 19.45m (63' 9.75") to win first place and also threw 18.28m (59'. 11.75") to win first in the weight throw.
In his second meet as a collegiate student-athlete, the freshman made his mark in the Arizona record book with a throw of 21.45m (70' 4") in shot put and now holds the the No. 1 mark in the NCAA, No. 2 mark in the world, the NCAA freshman record, U.S. indoor junior record, the school record and the UW Invitational meet record. He is also now the youngest shot putter ever to throw the 16-pound shot over 70 feet.
"Practice was going well all week before the meet, so my goal was just to execute in a competitive environment, Geist said "Coach Crater was emphasizing the same thing... Hitting a throw in an Arizona uniform was definitely an honor. We have had a rich history of success in throwing here, and I am looking forward to try carry on the tradition."
"Jordan puts a lot of effort and focus into everything he does," said throws coach
T.J. Crater. "Everything we do has intent. Because he has so much on his schedule, we really try to be efficient with his time. When he is training, recovering, or studying, he does it the best of his ability."
Being an elite athlete was nothing new for Geist. He was named the 2017 Pennsylvania Gatorade Player of the Year, set a new shot-put record at the Pan-Am American Junior games with a toss of 22.02m (72' 3") and took first in the TSTCA Indoor Championships and the PIAA District 7 AAA Championships with a throw of 23.55m (76' 11") and discus toss of 63.57m (208' 7").
The Pennsylvania native seemed to have a smooth transition from his small town of Cabot.
"It has been a very pleasant change so far, especially with the weather," Geist said. "I got a big reminder of that when I went back for winter break. The temperature [at home] was in single digits or in the negatives".
In preparation for his season, Geist got to train with Arizona Track Alumni, Aaron Castle, who graduated in 2017 with a host of Pac-12 honors, including First-Team Indoor All-American honors his final season.
"He [Aaron] has been a big help," Geist said. "Getting to practice with him has been huge because it gives me a look at what it is like to throw with a collegiate thrower who has been an All-American. Just talking to him has helped me".
Geist's family history may have a little something to do with his success. His parents, Jim and Judy Geist, were both Division II All-American throwers at Slippery Rock University.
"They have loved it," Geist said. "It is neat to bounce ideas off them as well because they have been there and done it all too. They are very proud because they coached me all the way up to this point."
Being in Tucson gave Geist the ability to connect with one of throwers he looks up to the most. Ryan Whiting, who is also from Pennsylvania, graduated from Arizona State and then went on to win The World Indoor Championships for shot put in 2012 and 2014.
"He actually trains at Arizona State, so I get to see him a little bit," Geist said. "I got to go up to his house and have a little cooking nutrition class at his house a couple months ago."
His teammates have also noticed his success, as he was first pick in the team's Red, White and Blue Draft.
"It was a small victory," Geist said. "It was cool to be picked first, especially over the crop of freshman that we have now, and how talented they are, especially with the throwers that we have. I made a little tweet after I got drafted that I was being drafted by one of the most prestigious programs of all time."
"Jordan has come in to our group and been nothing but a great teammate," Crater continued. "(Geist) is positive, supportive, and a friend. He also raises the level of intensity and focus. (Geist) feeds off of everyone around him, and they do the same. It has been a great fit thus far. And, obviously, with his performance last weekend, he has brought an increased visibility to our program."
