Medford's Jaida Ross, the NCAA record-holder in the shot put, threw the shot 19.57 meters Thursday night to secure her first national championship at Oregon.

With the U.S. Olympic trials looming on the horizon, Medford’s Jaida Ross put another feather in her cap Monday after being named the national women’s field athlete of the year by the U.S. Track and Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA).

The latest honor only adds to what has been a historic outdoor season for Ross at the University of Oregon, where she recently became the first Duck to win an NCAA title in the women’s shot put after previously breaking the collegiate record in the event during a spectacular junior campaign.

Ross owns four of the top five throws in collegiate history in the women’s shot put, including her final mark of 19.57 meters (64 feet, 2.5 inches) at the NCAA Championships at Hayward Field on June 6. All six of Ross’ throws were far enough to win the competition.

With a bevy of friends and family members present in Eugene, Ross also finished 14th in the discus at the NCAA Championships with a throw of 54.99 meters (180-5) to help the Ducks place fourth overall in the women’s team standings behind Arkansas, Florida and Texas, respectively.

Ross had previously doubled up on titles at the Pac-12 Conference Outdoor Championships with victories in the discus and shot put, winning the former with a personal-best effort of 59.74 meters (196-0) to move to No. 2 in Oregon history trailing only former teammate Jorinde Van Klinken.

During her prep days, Ross was a two-time state champion in the shot put (2017, 2019) as well as a state runner-up (2018) while competing for North Medford High. Ross was a title favorite in the shot put and discus (third in 2018 and 2019) but saw her senior year wiped out by the coronavirus. She graduated from Logos Public Charter School in 2020.

Ross broke the collegiate record in the shot put for a second time this spring with her toss of 20.01 meters (65-7.75) during the NCAA West Preliminary on May 23 in Fayetteville, Ark. With that mark, she became the first collegian and just the seventh American woman ever to eclipse 20 meters.

Ross first broke the record with her 19.71-meter throw (64-8) at the Triton Invitational on April 6, and equaled that performance three weeks later at the Desert Heat Classic to further give hopes to a promising finish to her season.

The U.S. Olympic trials will be June 21-30 at Hayward Field in Eugene, and Ross enters with the second-best mark of the year among her American peers in the shot put.

Prior to Monday’s announcement, Ross was named the USTFCCCA West Region and Pac-12 Women’s Field Athlete of the Year.

Ross joins Brianne Theisen (2010, 2012) as the two Oregon women to win National Outdoor Field Athlete of the Year. In 2017, Raevyn Rogers won national track accolades for the Ducks.

The complete USTFCCCA national award winners announced Monday were:

— Women’s Track Athlete of the Year: Parker Valby, Florida

— Women’s Field Athlete of the Year: Jaida Ross, Oregon

— Women’s Coach of the Year: Chris Johnson, Arkansas

— Women’s Assistant Coach of the Year: Boogie Johnson, Arkansas

— Men’s Track Athlete of the Year: Caleb Dean, Texas Tech

— Men’s Field Athlete of the Year: Leo Neugebauer, Texas

— Men’s Coach of the Year: Mike Holloway, Florida

— Men’s Assistant Coach of the Year: Ken Harnden, Auburn

Member coaches voted on these honors following the conclusion of the NCAA Championships in Eugene but considered performances throughout the season when voting.