COLLEGIATE PERSONAL BESTS: SP – 61-9.75 (18.84m) DT – 172-2 (52.48m), HT – 164-0 (49.99m), WT – 51-5 (15.67m)
COLLEGIATE RECORDS, AWARDS, AND NOTES
RECORDS:
No. 9 in school history in the outdoor shot put (61-9.75, 18.84m)
AWARDS:
1x Big Ten Distinguished Scholar (’24)
3x Academic All-Big Ten (’24, ’23, ’22)
1x USTFCCCA All-Academic team (‘24)
NOTES: Three-time NCAA East Prelims qualifier in the shot put.
2024 Outdoor
Season: Set the ninth-best shot put mark in school history…Finished fifth in the shot put at the Big Ten Outdoor Championships…Qualified for the NCAA East Region Prelims for the third time in his career.
Hurricane Alumni Invitational (4/5-6): Set his shot put PR with a 61-9.75 (18.84m) throw, finishing fourth in the competition…Also posted a 160-9 (48.99m) discus throw to finish 11th. Penn Relays (4/25-27): Recorded a 60-5.75 (18.43m) throw in the shot put…Added a 166-10 (50.86m) discus throw effort. Big Ten Outdoor Championships (5/10-12): Went 60-6.75 (18.46m) in the shot put to finish fifth in the conference…Recorded a season-best 168-2 (51.27m) discus throw mark for 15th. NCAA East Region Prelims (5/22-25): Finished 21st in the region in the shot put with a 59-7.5 (18.17m) toss.
2024 Indoor
Season: Posted five top-five finishes in the shot put…Placed 12th in the Big Ten at the conference’s indoor championships.
Nittany Lion Challenge (1/13): Threw 58-4.5 (17.79m) in the shot put, finishing fifth place in his season opener. Penn State National Open (1/26-27): Placed fourth in the shot put with a season-best 59-9 (18.21m) throw. Clemson Tiger Paw Invitational (2/9-10): Won the shot put competition with a 59-9.75 (18.13m) effort. Penn State Tune-Up (2/16): Was runner-up in the shot put competition with a 58-7.5 (17.87m) throw. Big Ten Indoor Championships (2/23-24): Posted a 57-10.5 (17.64m) heave to finish 12th in the conference in the shot put.
2023 Outdoor
Season: Qualified for the NCAA East Prelims for the second time in his career…Set PRs in both of his events at the Big Ten Championships.
Penn Challenge (3/18): Earned top-five finishes in both of his events…Placed third in the shot put with a 58-3.25 (17.76m) effort…Threw 166-11 (50.88m) in the discus for fourth place in the first meet of the outdoor season. Virginia Challenge (4/20-22): Broke 18 meters in the shot put for the first time in his career with an 18.06m effort, finishing third place…Came in 11th in the discus throw, going 159-8 (48.68m). Big Ten Championships (5/12-14): Set PRs in both of his events in a career-best day…Finished ninth in the shot put with a 59-9.5 (18.22m) throw…Came in 14th place in the discus with a 172-2 (52.48m) effort. NCAA East Prelims (5/25-27): Recorded a 57-7.75 (17.57m) throw in the shot put in his second-straight East Preliminary competition.
2023 Indoor
Season: Earned three second-place finishes in the shot put…Came in 14th place in the shot put at the Big Ten Indoor Championships.
Penn State National Open (1/27-28): Threw 56-10.25 for a second-place finish in the shot put. Big Ten Indoor Championships (2/24-25): Posted a 57-4.25 (17.48m) shot put effort for a 14th-place finish in the conference.
2022 Outdoor
Season: Competed at NCAA East Prelims in shot put…Set personal-best in shot put, going 57-7.75 (17.57m) at the Penn Relays.
UCF Knights Invite (3/25-26): Posted a personal-best 164-0 (49.99m) hammer throw to finish fourth…Came in third place in both the shot put (53-3.5 (16.24m)) and discus throw (158-3 (48.23m)) events. Penn Relays (4/28-30): Threw a personal-best 57-7.75 (17.57m) in the shot put. Big Ten Outdoor Championships (5/13-15): Came in 19th in the discus throw with a 156-4 (47.66m) effort…Finished 21st in the shot put, going 53-2.75 (16.22m). NCAA East Prelims (5/25-28): Placed 35th in the shot put with a 56-8.5 (17.28m) throw.
2022 Indoor
Season: Placed 20th at Big Ten Indoor Championships in shot put...Had three top-10 finishes in shot put for the indoor season.
Sykes & Sabock Challenge (1/29): Posted a personal-best mark in the weight throw, going 51-5 (15.67m)…Collected a 10th-place finish in the shot put with a 51-8.5 (15.76m) throw. Big Ten Indoor Championships (2/25-26): Finished 20th overall in the shot put with a 53-3 (16.23m) throw.
2021 Outdoor
Season: Set a personal-best mark in the discus throw, clearing 170 feet for the first time in his career…Finished 13th in the discus throw and 16th in the shot put at the Big Ten Outdoor Championships.
Ohio State Jesse Owens Invitational (4/30-5/1): Set a PR in the discus throw with a 170-1 (51.85m) effort…Finished third in the shot put with a 54-8.25 (16.67m). Jim Thorpe Invite (5/7): Recorded a season-best shot put throw of 55-9 (16.99m) to place fourth. Big Ten Outdoor Championships (5/14-16/21): Competed in both the shot put and discus throw, finishing 16th in the shot put (55-7 (16.94m)) and 13th in the discus throw (167-8 (51.12m)).
2021 Indoor
Season: Collected three top-five finishes in the shot put, along with an 18th place tally at the Big Ten championship meet.
Penn State Tri-Meet (2/6): Posted an indoor season best 55-4.75 (16.88m) shot put throw to place second in the event. Big Ten Indoor Championships (2/25-27/21): Placed 18th in the shot put with a 53-1.75 (16.20m) effort.
BEFORE PENN STATE
HIGH SCHOOL PRs: Shot put - 58-9, Discus - 187-11
Won two district titles in shot put and discus at Chestnut Ridge High School...Set Chestnut Ridge school records in the discus and shot put...Earned all-state honors in both track and football...Won 100 matches as a wrestler.
PERSONAL
Son of James and Rebecca Knisely...Has two siblings, Samantha and Madeline...Graduated from Penn State with a degree in kinesiology...Born in Pennsylvania.