JEFFERSON TWP — Yet another honor has come Jordan Geist’s way.

Geist, who recently completed his junior year at Knoch as the PIAA Class AAA champion in the discus and shot put, was named the Gatorade Pennsylvania Boys Track & Field Player of the Year on Friday.

“It’s a tremendous honor in that the Gatorade award covers all events, track and field,” Knoch coach Wess Brahler said. “The fact Jordan dominated two events led to this, I’m sure.

“I don’t think anyone else in the county has ever won this award. It’s huge.”

Judy Geist, Jordan’s mother and Knoch’s throwing coach, said the Gatorade Award “gets his name out there and that’s important.

“He gets a lot of stuff from Gatorade, like a cooler and water bottles, for the team. A plaque and banner get sent to the school and a trophy gets sent to the house.

“Jordan is the first Knoch athlete to ever win this award and he’s well-deserving of it,” Coach Geist added.

Geist himself is thrilled to win the Gatorade Award because 30-year-old Ryan Whiting — a world shot put champion and 2012 U.S. Olympian — once received the same honor.

“It feels pretty cool that I’m at the same level Ryan Whiting was at when he was my age. It feels like that, anyway,” Geist said. “It’s a good feeling, winning something of this magnitude.”

Last year’s Gatorade Pennsylvania winner was John Lewis of Cheltenham High School, who set the state record in the half-mile at 1 minute, 48.72 seconds.

“That’s the kind of stuff it takes to win that thing,” Brahler said of the Gatorade award.

By winning Gatorade’s Pennsylvania honor in track and field, Geist’s name is thrown into the pool of candidates for Gatorade’s National Track and Field Player of the Year.

The national winner will be announced this week.

“If Jordan gets that, he gets to be on the ESPYs. How cool would that be?,” Mrs. Geist said.

Geist is competing this weekend in the Junior National 20-Under Track and Field Championships in Clovis. Calif. The top two placers in each event there earn berths on the United States team for the IAAF World Junior Championships July 19 in Bydgoszcz, Poland.

“It will be interesting to see how Jordan does out there because there are college athletes in that competition,” Brahler said.

Geist will be competing in the shot put at 4 p.m. Pacific time Saturday and in the discus at 6:15 p.m. Pacific time Sunday. Events were pushed back because of hot weather conditions.

The temperature was 104 degrees in Clovis on Friday.

“I’m definitely out of my element here weather-wise,” Geist admitted. “I’m not used to throwing in 100 degree weather. Guys here from Texas and California have done that before.

“I’m not sure where I stack up out here. There are college guys in this competition who I haven’t seen. I’d love to make that U.S. team, even though a lot of pressure would come with that.

“All I can do is go out there and do my best. If it’s not good enough, it’s not good enough,” he added.

Geist’s season has not stopped since the high school campaign ended. He competed in the New Balance Outdoor National Championships last weekend in Greensboro, N.C., placing second in the shot put and third in the discus.

He threw the shot put 70 feet, 2.75 inches, losing out to Adrian Piperi of Texas, who had a toss of 73 feet, 5.25 inches.

Geist’s discus throw of 197 feet, 11 inches marked his personal best. His longest career distance in the shot put is 74 feet, 4.5 inches, a high school state record.

The National High School Federation record in the shot put is 77 feet, set by former NFL player Michael Carter.

“Jordan has been at this for six months now,” Brahler said. “He’s up against the best competition and, each year, he’s jumped up about three to five feet on his throws.

“It’s a testament to how hard he’s working. As he keeps getting bigger and stronger, his ability to throw farther increases.”

Brahler pointed out that Geist’s mother and his godfather, North Allegheny throwing coach Mike Hambrick, continually work with Geist on his technique.

“Eventually, it’s all going to come down to how technically sound he is,” Brahler said.