AUSTIN, Texas – The Wildcats began their final competition of the season at the NCAA Outdoor Championships on Wednesday with senior
Jordan Geist winning a National Championship in the shot put.
Geist, who also earned the indoor shot put crown earlier this year, won the competition by 0.02m on his final attempt of the competition and final career collegiate toss. He also finished on the podium in the hammer throw as he stole the show for the Arizona Men on the first day of competition.
"It feels great," said Geist when asked about his shot put victory. "It was a slow start in the competition, but I was able to build throughout and on the last throw I finally got one that was enough to take the lead. Getting it done at the end of the day, that's all that mattered. I had a personal best in the hammer and then my second-best meet of the year in the shot, so I'm happy with the results."
TOP-THREE FINISHES
Jordan Geist – NCAA Champion, Shot Put, 21.06m (69-1.25) | Third, Hammer Throw, 75.97m (249-3)
FIELD HIGHLIGHTS
Jordan Geist capped off an incredible Wildcat career with a fantastic day of competition. Geist won the shot put competition with a heave of 21.06m (69-1.25), which came on his sixth and final attempt. That mark pushed him ahead of Arizona State's Turner Washington, who is also a former Wildcat, by just 0.02m. Geist knew as soon as he released his throw that he had come through in the clutch to deliver the Wildcats and himself a National Title in the event. While it is his first career outdoor National Championship, Geist won the shot put at the NCAA Indoor Championships during the indoor season, meaning he swept the event in both the indoor and outdoor seasons this year. He is the first Wildcat to win an outdoor championship since Lawi Lalang won the 5000m in 2014. His victory also marks the first time that a Wildcat has won a National Title in the shot put. Prior to this, Geist's best finish in the event at the NCAA Championships was third.
What's even more impressive is that Geist's shot put victory came after a podium finish in the deepest hammer throw competition in NCAA history. Geist came out of the gates hot, with a big-time heave on his first attempt of 75.97m (249-3). That mark broke his own school record in the event and put Geist 12th all-time in NCAA history. After three attempts, Geist remained in the competition's lead, but then fell to third with one throw left after the top two competitors in front of him posted personal bests and broke a facility record in the event as well. Geist ended up finishing third overall in the competition after a sensational series where he surpassed 75m and broke the school record he entered the competition with twice. He notched a podium finish for the first time in his career in the event. His new school record and personal best mark also moved him up to fifth all-time in Pac-12 history and 14th all-time in NCAA history in the hammer throw. His third-place finish is the highest for a Wildcat in the event since 1997.
When asked about all the support he has received from the Wildcat Nation during his career, Geist kept his answer short but sweet: "Thank you for everything and Bear Down!"
Youssef Koudssi and
Zach Landa both finished in the top 20 of the shot put competition as well at their first career NCAA Championships. Koudssi placed 18th with a throw of 19.03m (62-5.25) and Landa finished in 20th with a toss of 18.75m (61-6.25). It was the first time since 2008 that the Wildcats had three competitors in the shot put at the NCAA Championships.
In the javelin,
Jared O'Riley finished 22nd overall with a throw of 64.91m (212-11). He placed 10th in his flight as well. This marks the second consecutive year that O'Riley has appeared and finished at the NCAA Championships in the event. He's the first Wildcat to compete in consecutive outdoor championships in the javelin since 2000. The trio of O'Riley, Koudssi, and Landa all moved up Arizona's top 10 all-time lists during the course of the year.
TRACK HIGHLIGHTS
The men's 4x100m team entered the championships buzzing after a school record performance at the West Prelims where they broke the 33-year-old Arizona record in the event. The team of
Trayvion White-Austin,
Brian Limage,
Carl Hicks, and
James Onanubosi finished seventh in their heat and 18th overall in the semifinals of the event at the NCAA Championships, clocking a time of 39.10 in an ultra-competitive relay. Although the team did not advance to the final on Friday, they gave a valiant effort in their final competition of the year after a record-breaking outdoor season.
The action continues tomorrow for the Wildcats with the start of the women's events.
Talie Bonds will compete in the 100m hurdles, starting at 6:32 p.m. MST. Live results can be found
here.
TEAM SCORES
TOP 10 MEN (6/21 events scored)
1. Arkansas – 21
2. Stanford – 18
3. Arizona – 16
4. LSU – 15
5. Harvard – 13
6. Minnesota – 11
7. South Alabama – 10
8. BYU – 9.5
9. Akron – 8
9. Virginia - 8
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