By Chris Parker
Nixa’s Jackson Cantwell has been making history in the shot put for a long time.
On Saturday, that history making continued with a monster throw of 76’11.25 on his final attempt in the preliminary round of throws.
The throw smashed his own Missouri state meet and overall record and was just one centimeter short of the NFHS record. The recognized national record by Michael Carter in 1979 was set outside of the high school season in the summer, as such it does not count as the NFHS record.
It was a throw that lit a re-lit a fire in Cantwell that had largely been extinguished this season.
“That made me start to love track again,” Cantwell season. “All season, to be honest, I have started to lose a little love for the sport especially with how much I have been talking about football in the off-season. I felt some of that fire I hadn’t felt in a while throwing in that competition today.”
Cantwell committed to play football at the University of Miami earlier this month and his throwing has been on an upward trend since.
“It (committing) has been a weight lifted off my shoulders,” Cantwell said. “I have really enjoyed not having to worry about (recruiting). Not having to worry about making that major decision allowed me to focus on track and focus on what I needed to do. I think I have thrown a lot better in the postseason because of that or at least had more clarity.”
Cantwell still has one meet left in his junior season at Nike Outdoor Nationals, which is set to be his final high school meet at this time.
CLICK HERE FOR PHOTOS OF THE MEET
“I have all my classes up to where I am going to enroll (at the University of Miami) at semester. It would take a lot to change that. My last high school track meet will likely be Nike Outdoor Nationals,” Cantwell said.
Cantwell’s mark on Saturday will likely become one of Missouri’s unbreakable records.
Unless he decides to come back for his senior track season.
“I think I can edit my classes until September, so we will see,” Cantwell said. “I don’t know if I want to (come back) because the football stuff at the end of the day is what I am here to do. It is my passion. I think it is my purpose in life. It would be pretty cool to chase a really far mark. It is not far off from being able to do something really historic.”
If Cantwell did reverse course and come back for his senior track season, there might be some construction needed at the Jefferson City High School shot put pit, as Cantwell was dangerously close to throwing it out the back of the pit.
CLICK HERE FOR VIDEO OF THE MEET
“If I were to come back next year, which I don’t think I will, they would probably renovate the fence,” Cantwell said. “Maybe they won’t have to do that. We will see.”
Southwest Missouri was dominant in the Class 5 shot put competition with Cantwell’s teammate Hayden Mays taking second with a throw of 60’2. Kickapoo’s Morgan Nicholls was fourth with a 57’3. Joplin’s Neil Barstow placed fifth with a 55’10.5.
