Medford's Jaida Ross is up to 11 throws beyond 19 meters this season for the University of Oregon.

EUGENE — It seemed only a matter of time before Medford’s Jaida Ross would stand atop the NCAA women’s shot put podium given how this track and field season has gone for the Oregon Ducks junior, and that time was Thursday night.

Ross, the NCAA record-holder in the event, threw the shot 19.57 meters Thursday night to secure her first national title. Previously at the Pac-12 Championships, she became the first woman in collegiate history to surpass 20 meters and just the seventh woman in American history to do so.

The Logos Charter School graduate was a two-time state champion in the shot put while competing for North Medford High, and was cheered on by a slew of family members in the stands who made the trip up I-5 to Hayward Field.

Ross will also be competing in the discus event Saturday, aiming to secure more points for the Ducks as they pursue a team national title on the women’s side. She is preliminarily ranked eighth in the event with a season-best throw of 59.74 meters.

After the NCAA championships wrap up, Ross will prepare for the U.S. Olympic trials later this month in Eugene.

Ross opened her series Thursday night with a throw of 18.86 meters and that mark would ultimately have been good to secure the 2024 national championship. She went on to post marks of 19.14, 19.09, 18.85 and 18.75 before unleashing her high-water throw of the night on her sixth and final attempt at 19.57. Ross is up to 11 throws beyond 19 meters this season.

Ross recently broke her own NCAA shot put record during the national prelims, joining an elite group of athletes in the process with her 20.01-meter toss.