Jackson Cantwell, the son of 2008 Olympic shot put silver medalist Christian Cantwell, entered into elusive company on Saturday, joining the the 70-foot shot put club with his 72 foot, 3 inch mark at the Licklider Relays in Jefferson City.
The performance represented Cantwell's first effort over 70 feet for the implement, which weights at 12-pounds for high school throwers, and it also came up just five inches shy of the sophomore national record.
Cantwell, now standing at a healthy 6-foot-7, is still chasing the sophomore mark of 72-8, owned by former New Jersey legend Nick Vena, who went over 70 in June of 2009.
The teenager from Nixa High School, a four-star rated offensive lineman with scholarship offers from the likes of Notre Dame, Alabama and Arkansas, moved up to U.S. No. 1 with the performance and now has roughly a three-foot lead on the next best thrower in the country.
Cantwell opened up his season with a 20.47 meter mark, which equated to roughly 67 feet and 1.5 inches.
Cantwell's father, Christian, finished second in the shot put at the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing and won a World title the next year in Berlin. He was a three-time World indoor champion in the event. His wife, Teri, is a fellow shot put thrower who reached the Olympics and scored a World Indoor Championship bronze medal in 1999.
