Knoch graduate Jordan Geist won a silver medal at the Pan American Games late Wednesday with a throw of 20.67 meters. Geist is one of only two collegiate athletes to take home a medal at the games, which wrap up this weekend. Geist, pictured here after returning home from the Pan Am Junior Games, won the gold medal there two years ago.

LIMA, Peru — Jordan Geist climbed onto the podium with a smile blossoming on his young face.

It was a different kind of grin for Geist. It was brighter. Wider. More satisfying than an other smile he's displayed on a podium before.

Geist had good reason to feel that way.

The Knoch graduate and junior at Arizona University won the silver medal in the shot put late Wednesday at the Pan American Games.

Geist tried to describe what he felt when he stood on the podium, the silver medal around his neck.

“Mostly pride,” Geist said. “It was my first time representing the U.S. on an international medal stand and to come out as probably the youngest person in the field and represent my country meant the world to me.”

Geist is only the second collegian to earn one of the 809 medals given out so far at the games, which began July 26 and conclude this weekend.

The other is Chanel Brissett of the University of Southern California in the women's 100-meter hurdles.

Geist's goal was to get on the medal stand.

Somehow.

Some way.

It took until his final throw to secure his spot.

Geist was sitting in fifth place in the finals before he stepped into the circle and uncorked a throw of 20.67 meters (68 feet, 7 inches) to climb into second.

“The throw was in the last round and it felt better than the rest of the throws,” Geist said. “I just couldn't tell from where it landed if it was far enough to get me on the podium or not.”

It was.

Darlan Romani of Brazil won the gold with a throw of 22.07 meters.Romani was fifth in the shot put at the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro.Romani's throw was a Pan Am Games record.Geist was just happy to earn a medal.“It is great,” Geist said. “My goal coming in to the competition was to medal. It has been a long season and thankfully I was able to accomplish the goal.”It's been a whirlwind season for Geist.He finished third at the NCAA Division I track and field championships in the shot put in June, but was hoping for a better finish.Geist said he struggled at times with his with his technique this year, but got that turned around in the tune-up for the Pan Am Games at the NACAC U23 Championships last month.He won that event easily with a throw of 20.81 meters.Now Geist will get some much-needed respite.For a little while, at least.“Some time off, thankfully,” Geist said. “I will fly back into Tucson (Friday) and we start classes at the end of the month. But I will get about a month off from training.”

Knoch´s Jordan Geist accepting his silver medal in the shot put at the Pan-Am Games.