Jordan Geist opened up his season in a big way on Thursday night at Hempfield (Photo by Phil Grove)
Many times, new and improved isn't new or improved.
Knoch's Jordan Geist made it crystal clear Thursday that the 2015-16 version of one of the nation's best throwers over the past several years is unlike just about anything you have ever seen.
The junior standout moved ever closer to a state record with the 12-pound shot, blasting the implement to within inches of Ryan Whiting's indoor best as a prep. Geist's final round effort of 68 feet, 6 inches is the new US#1 by almost 9 feet, trails Whiting's 68-11.25 from the 2005 PTFCA indoor meet and is also US#10 on the all-time shot put list behind the two-time indoor world champion.
"We were just trying to throw 67 in this meet," Geist said after averaging over 65-9 on his four legal throws. "Throwing a foot over that, hopefully we can go above and beyond the rest of the season and hit something over 70 at least."
Geist opened the evening and his season atop the national list with a heave of 65-4, a mark that he eclipsed in only four meets outdoors and twice indoors as a sophomore. The 17-year-old pushed the US#1 out to 66-2.5 on his next trip to the ring before fouling to close out the second flight.
"I am a lot more relaxed when I'm throwing, and I definitely put a lot more muscle on, which was a big goal that we had this season," Geist said of the major changes from when he last stepped into a shot circle. "Hopefully it's going to keep climbing for me on out."
(Photo by Phil Grove)
In the finals, Geist opened with a 63-0 put before he was unable to hold the circle on a toss that was very close to the 70-foot line. Redemption came for Geist with a competition-ending 68-6 effort that moved right behind Whiting's state winner from 2005.
"The next one, it's just take a little bit off of it and try to stay out," Geist said of getting a PR after the long foul. "The (throw) that I had that I fouled was way too much. I barely fouled it, but I knew I needed to tone it down on the next throw."
Geist's winner is the longest throw in the country since Braheme Days Jr. of New Jersey let go of a 69-0 put on Jan. 24, 2013.
"He's a self-motivator," said Judy Geist, Jordan's mom and throws coach at Knoch. "He has goals, and he's ready to get them. Throw farther each meet."
As amazing as Geist was in the shot competition Thursday in Hempfield Area's gymnasium, he apparently looked even better before the performances were measured. In preparing for the second flight of the shot, he launched at least a pair of throws that landed well beyond the 70-foot mark.
"He got a little excited, was the first meet, the adrenaline got flowing too quick and that's why he had the big warmups" said Mike Hambrick, Geist's club coach and longtime family friend. "I told him these meets are just rehearsals.
"We're going to really work on our meet behavior, how to take your warmups. Warmups are to warm your body up, not to throw far. I think he got so fired up today, he used that adrenaline up on those 2 big throws then he had to regroup it back up for later."
After opening his night with a more than 2-foot indoor PR in his specialty, Geist came back with another remarkable performance in the weight throw, an event that he contested twice a year ago at Ohio venues. The junior blew away his old PR of 55-1 in the opening round, reaching 60-5 on a two-turn try that was at less than 100 percent intensity.
After a foul, Geist pushed his PR to 64-0 before dialing up a monster effort that hugged the sector line and crashed to the gym floor at a distance of 72-8. His final throw of the night also topped the 70-foot line, measuring out at 71-9.
In addition to adding an incredible 17-plus feet to his lifetime best, Geist roared to US#1 with a distance that was worth 8th at the year-ending New Balance Nationals Indoor in 2015.
"It was definitely a great thing to know that I'm throwing this far this early in the season, especially in weight, something I haven't even been throwing for a year," Geist said.
The Knoch standout wasn't the only field eventer to excel in the meet for throwers, high jumpers and pole vaulters. Dom Marshall of Hempfield reached 55-3.5 for second in the boys' shot, while Tom Bojalad of St. Mary's hit 52-3 and Knoch's Brennan McTighe threw 51-1. In the girls' shot, Maura Kimmel of Moniteau won at 41-1 and Hempfield's Samantha Orie was next at 37-1.
In the high jump, Gina Cuneo of Hempfield and Julia Howard of Greensburg Salem each cleared 5-0, while Chad Livingston of Laurel Highlands won the boys' event at 6-0. For the pole vaulters, Cassandra Phelan of Laurel Highlands and Molly DeBone of Hempfield each cleared 11-3, while Adam Gamber of Hempfield and Pine-Richland's Joey Kelly topped 13-9 and Hayden Fox of Hempfield cleared 13-3.
