JEFFERSON TWP — Jordan Geist has the top shot put throw in the country this high school indoor track and field season.

The Knoch junior isn't about to give that up easily.

“The thing about being No. 1 is you have a target on your back,” Geist said. “I'm not going to have that for long if I don't keep training hard. There are some big throws all around the country.”

None, though, have been bigger than Geist's heave of 69 feet, 6½ inches at Slippery Rock University over the weekend.

That mark also broke the state record of 68-11¼, which was set 11 years ago by Ryan Whiting.

Whiting represented the United States in the 2012 London Olympics.

Geist eclipsed that mark on his fifth throw of the day.

“It was definitely a great thing to do,” Geist said. “It was a very special moment, especially doing it at SRU where my parents (Jim and Judy) went and were All Americans and are in the school Hall of Fame.”

Geist's only lament was he didn't hit 70 feet.

“That's the next goal,” he said.

Geist has plenty of them. His No. 1 goal is to eventually become an Olympian.

For now, though, he is focusing on the little things to make himself an even better thrower.

That means studying film and dissecting every body movement.

It also means hitting the weight room hard to add strength and size.

“I'm on a three-day weight program,” Geist said. “One day is upper body. One day is lower body and the third day is full body.”

It's a huge time commitment and one that forced Geist to make sacrifices.

One of those sacrifices was opting to not play football for the Knights this fall.

Geist's mother and throwing coach Judy said her son has had to make some hard choices along the way.

“It's tough on him to go to school every day and his buddies are playing football,” Judy said. “But that's just the type of kid he is. I've never been around a kid so focused on what he wants to eventually do one day.”

Jordan Geist is also in a class of his own at indoor meets.

He won the shot put event as SRU by more than 15 feet.

Jordan said he enters meets competing against only one foe.

Himself.

“I've adapted and adjusted to it,” Jordan said. “Obviously, I want to have as much competition as I can. It's not a knock on anyone else, but I am competing against myself.”

That's the price of being so far ahead of the curve.

Jordan picked up a new throwing event this season.

The PIAA added the weight throw to its list of events and after just five months of training, Jordan went out in his first meet and threw 72 feet — at the time the best throw in the nation.

Currently, he is ranked third in the country in that event.

“Since it is new this year, I want to throw it in any meet I can throw it,” Jordan said. “I plan on throwing it at nationals.”

His effort in that event further brought to light how talented Jordan is, said Judy.

“He works really hard at everything he does,” the coach said. “When he picks up something new, he'll study it. He's a smart kid. He has a 4.1 GPA. After doing that event for only five months and throwing what he did, I just said, 'Jordan, is there anything you can't do?'”