Jackson Cantwell: Miami football recruit nearly breaks shot put record
Nixa 2026 offensive lineman Jackson Cantwell finished one centimeter behind the NFHS shot put record while capturing his third straight state championship.
JEFFERSON CITY — About a half hour before he was supposed to start warming up for the Class 5 shot put final, Francis Howell Central junior Matthew Hopkins couldn’t help but stare as Nixa standout Jackson Cantwell walked by.
“I’m starstruck,” Hopkins, who was competing against the nation’s No. 1 football prospect, couldn’t help but say.
The 6-foot-8, 320-pound Miami (Florida) commit started to warm up as spectators flocked to the throwing pit. Well over 100 crammed into the small area on the southeast side of Adkins Stadium in Jefferson City to get a glimpse at something that could be historic.
One female athlete participating in Saturday’s Missouri Class 4-5 track and field championships brushed his arm when he walked back to retrieve his shot.
“Oh my God, I just touched him,” she told her friend.
Cantwell’s six tosses in the Missouri Class 5 shot put championship proved to be a spectacle. He won his third-straight state championship, breaking his state record (again), and finishing one centimeter shy of the 46-year-old NFHS record, set by eventual Olympic silver medalist and all-pro NFL defensive tackle Michael Carter.
As jaw-dropping as the 23.45 meter (76 feet, 11 ¼ inches) throw was, the way those in the crowd and his opponents spoke about the 16-year-old might have been more entertaining.
“It still feels weird,” Cantwell, after taking care of many in a long line seeking a photo with him, said. “I don’t know how to feel about it yet. I’ve just gotten good at dealing with it, I guess.”
With the event set to begin at 2:30 p.m., spectators tried to claim a spot in the half hour leading up to it….
Source link : https://www.news-leader.com/story/sports/high-school/2025/06/01/jackson-cantwell-miami-football-recruiting-nixa-track-and-field-nfhs-mshsaa-missouri-shot-put-record/83864940007/
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Publish date : 2025-06-01 08:01:00
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