Arizona Sophomore standout, Jordan Geist bested Otterdahl's NCAA leading mark in the SHOT PUT yesterday in Tucson.
His throw of 69' 9 3/4" is 1 1/2 inches further than Payton's top throw this spring.
Geist threw the 12 pound shot 76' 0" as a high school senior and is the youngest American to throw the 16 pound shot 70 feet (at age 19).
Jordan Geist widened his lead over Payton in the 2019 Outdoor Performance List (SHOT PUT) last weekend.
He won the Triton Invitational with a heave of 70' 10".
Geist had the 2nd best indoor throw this season going into the NCAA Championships.
His 69' 4 3/4" (winning the event at Texas Tech Shootout on February 8th) was 26 inches less than Payton NCAA Championships winning throw.
Geist finished 5th at the those same Championships throwing 66' 6 1/2".
I am confident that Payton will dial things up this weekend in California. He has only competed in the SHOT PUT one time this spring.
Big day for Payton tomorrow (Saturday).
At 1:00 Central Time, he will compete in the MEN'S GOLD INVITATIONAL SHOT PUT at the Beach Invitational (Long Beach State University) in Southern California.
Headlining the event will be Olympic Champion and University of Texas alum Ryan Crouser. At the 2016 games in Rio, Crouser took the GOLD for the USA with a winning toss of 73' 10 1/2" (22.52m) breaking the Olympic record.
The 6'8" 320 pound giant has a personal best of 74' 3 3/4" (22.65m) which is the best throw in the world since 2003.
He won the 2014 NCAA Outdoor Championships and the 2016 Indoor Championships.
He will compete unattached as a representative of the Chula Vista Elite Athletic Training Center.
Bison sophomore Alex Talley, junior Michael Keogan, and freshman Kristofer Thomsen will also be in the GOLD INVITATIONAL division with Otterdahl.
Live Results can be followed here: http://royalresults.com/liveresults/
Crouser wins the shot put with a ridiculous throw of 74' 7 1/4".
Payton finished 2nd with his first ever 70'+ outdoor throw. (70' 1 /2").
This, of course, is a new NDSU Outdoor record as well.
Alex Talley was 10th: 62' 2 1/2".
Kristofer Thomsen finished 13th: 61' 9 3/4".
Michael Keogan 16th: 60' 4".
I'd be willing to bet that no other school has ever had 4 athletes throw the shot over 60 feet in a single event.
Despite finishing 2nd to Crouser, it has to have been a great experience for Payton to be in the final flight with him.
Gives him a taste of the real elite athletes that he will be rubbing shoulders with after his college career.