Greensburg freshman wins national shot put event, his sister finishes third

Was held at the Hayward Field in Oregon this week

(EUGENE, OR.) – A brother and sister both had big performances at the Nike Outdoor Nationals in Eugene, Oregon. 

The competition took place at the iconic Hayward Field on the University of Oregon’s campus. 

14-year-old Jai Jackson is an incoming freshman at Greensburg and he qualified for the Boys Shot Put Middle School competition at the national meet. 

Jai was one of 33 shot put throwers in the competition and finished first place overall to win the National Championship. 

He beat out throwers from all over the country including Arizona, Washington and California. 

His father, David, is also the throws coach for Greensburg High School. 

“It was great to see him compete on the big stage and as a father and track guy, it was an emotional day. It is great to see your kids go out and compete, show consistency, and I was glad that he didn’t rush it, as he took the experience in,” David said. 

Jai’s older sister, Emarie, throws for the University of Delaware and she also qualified for the U20 division at the Nike Outdoor Nationals. 

On Friday, she placed third overall at the Nike Outdoor Nationals. 

She is scheduled to compete on Friday afternoon.