Top Ten Nationals Finish For Medina
Freshman Omar Medina reached the finals and finished ninth in the nation in shot put at the NJCAA Division I National Championship
HOBBS, N.M. - Freshman Omar Medina placed ninth in shot put at the 2026 NJCAA Division I Track and Field National Championships Friday in Hobbs, N.M.
The first-year thrower from Memphis, Tenn. marked four of his six attempts, the second of which was his best at 15.58 meters (51-1.5) and which sent him to the finals out of flight two.
His three finals throws could not best that mark, which saw him finish ninth overall. The result is the first top 10 finish in an NJCAA National Championship event in program history, after Medina had already made history for the Eagles by being the first to qualify for the tournament in April.
Coming into Friday's title meet, Medina was seeded eighth thanks to a PR distance of 16.14 meters, set at the University of Arkansas's John McDonnell Invitational April 24.
Sophomore Joshua Sweetnam of Hutchinson Community College (KS) won the national title with a distance of 18.47 meters on his first attempt. Freshmen Akram Mouaki (Iowa Central CC) and Arthur Leandro de Sousa (Iowa Western CC) rounded out the top three podium.
