EUGENE, Ore. — Jordan Geist has been struggling with his timing all season.

Frustrating practices.

Even more frustrating meets.

But Geist, a Knoch graduate and junior thrower at the University of Arizona, has made significant progress over the past month.

He showed off some of those strides late Wednesday night at the NCAA Track and Field Championships.

Geist threw a season-best 20.40 meters (66 feet, 11¼ inches) in the shot put to place third at the University of Oregon.

Geist also placed eighth in the hammer throw with a heave of 70.53 meters (231-4) earlier Wednesday and was named All-American in both events.

A rare feat.

“We haven't tried doing it before because they were the same day,” Geist said of the double-dip at the NCAA championship meet. “But this year we kind of made the conscious decision early on to do both because the hammer has been picking up a lot more this year.”

Geist, though, had hoped to do better in both events.

“I mean, it's pretty cool, but the athlete and competitor in me says I could have done better in both events,” Geist said. “My shot has been coming around.”

Geist said he had his best practice of the year Tuesday.

It has been something of a struggle for Geist this season.

He was able to train throughout the pandemic, but contracted COVID-19 in December. While his symptoms were mild — just a slight cough — quarantine cost him three weeks and valuable time.

Since, Geist has been searching for the form that made him a two-time PA Gatorade Player of the Year in high school and a record-breaker nearly everywhere he has thrown.

“The bounce-back has been pretty tough,” Geist said. “This has been a really tough season, especially mentally just trying to get through a lot of rough meets and a lot of rough training sessions.”

Geist, though, feels as close to himself as he has in two years.

He lost all of last season to the pandemic shutdown.

Two years ago, he also placed third at the NCAA championships in the shot put. As a freshman, he was fifth.

His best throw Wednesday came on his fourth attempt. He couldn't quite better than effort in his final two attempts.

“It was definitely a confidence-booster having that good throw,” Geist said. “It's a lot easier to build on a throw than it is to try to find the feel for a good throw. But I only had two throws to build on it.”

Geist said he felt like he was good enough to win the NCAA championship.

“I definitely have more confidence than I had,” Geist said. “Every week it's been building a little more.”

Geist has one more week to build.

The Olympic Trials for the shot put are June 18, also at Oregon, and Geist is hoping to put it all together for that meet.

His task is daunting. The United States field is stacked with exceptional throwers.

“To make our Olympic team this year, it's gonna take probably close to 73 feet,” Geist said. “And that's, for me, almost a two-foot personal best.”

Geist, though, is going to give it his best shot. Ultimately, though, he is only hoping to put the trial and tribulations of the year behind him.

“It's just about trying to put together my best throw on that particular day,” Geist said. “Just be a little more proud of how this season finishes than the disappointment with how it started.”