MILWAUKEE In her final year of eligibility at the Milwaukee School of Engineering (MSOE), Janesville Craig alumnus Jessa Alderman has the opportunity to do something that no MSOE track & field athlete, male or female, has ever done before.
Become a national champion.
This past Friday, Alderman learned that she would be representing MSOE on the grandest stage of them all, the 2026 NCAA Outdoor Track & Field Championships, this coming weekend in La Crosse. Alderman enters the NCAA Championships as the nations top-ranked shot putter in all of Division III.
A 2022 graduate from Janesville Craig High School, Alderman was a prep standout for the Cougar track & field team, showcasing dominance in several throwing events which qualified her for the WIAA State Meet her junior and senior seasons. Aldermans high school career culminated in her taking home third and fifth-place medals in 2022 in discus and shot put, respectively.
While for some that could be considered the pinnacle and the finale of their athletic career, Alderman had other plans. Upon graduating from Janesville Craig, Alderman committed to attend MSOE, where she was able to extend her throwing career by joining the MSOE womens track & field team.
Alderman showed early promise for the Raiders on the indoor side of the track & field program in 2024, toppling the school record in the weight throw despite only competing as a sophomore.
Not a week later, Alderman put together yet another record-breaking performance, claiming MSOEs indoor shot put record as well. The remainder of her sophomore season, Alderman proceeded to reset both of her weight throw and shot put records before eventually qualifying for the 2024 NCAA Indoor National Championships, where she would finish 13th in shot put.
As a result, Alderman was named a 2024 Second-Team All-American for her efforts, becoming the first female student-athlete at MSOE to finish the indoor season as an All-American since 2016.
Aldermans dominance in throwing continued right through MSOEs outdoor season in 2024, as the underclassman solidified her name amongst the programs and conferences top throwers.
Her sophomore season culminated at the 2024 Northern Athletics Collegiate Conference (NAAC) Outdoor Championships, where Alderman took home her first-ever NAAC conference title in the shot put with a school record throw in the event.
Before her junior season even started, Alderman was already on pace to become one of MSOE track & fields all-time greats.
Another record-filled indoor season in 2025 not only led to Alderman claiming the 2025 NAAC indoor shot put title, but it helped guide her to her second-straight NCAA Indoor Championship appearance, where she ultimately finished 18th overall.
Alderman then went on to defend her NAAC outdoor conference title in shot put from the season before, as yet another record-breaking season was capped off with Alderman hoisting an individual conference championship.
This set the stage for Aldermans 2026 season; her final season of collegiate track & field.
Aldermans indoor season went about as expected, as the household name cleaned up in conference action, taking home the NAAC indoor shot put and weight throw titles. She once again was named a Second-Team All-American for the Raiders after finishing 13th at the 2026 NCAA Indoor National Championships.
Heading into the outdoor season, Alderman quickly realized that this spring was her final opportunity to get over the hump. The Craig alumnus already had countless records, conference titles and All-American honors to her name. Now, she had her sights set on something bigger.
Aldermans season-opening performance saw her once again topple MSOEs outdoor shot put record. Just as a heads up, reader, this will not be the last time that Alderman breaks her own record.
But then, a week later at the Rex Foster Twilight Meet hosted by UW-Whitewater, Alderman did something she had never done before.
With a shot put throw of 14.91 meters, not only did Alderman shatter her own school record in the event, but she set a new conference record, etching her name further into the NAAC record books.
But that wasnt event the biggest takeaway from Aldermans first-place finish that weekend. Her throw of 14.91 meters suddenly thrusted Alderman into the national spotlight, as it ranked as the No. 1 throw in all of Division III for the outdoor season.
A throw like that may paint a target on your back, or create an added pressure to some not accustomed to that level of notoriety.
Alderman, however, just put her head down and continued to dazzle as the outdoor season carried on.
After picking up multiple shot put titles at several other regular season meets, Alderman once again brought home gold at the NAAC Outdoor Championships by taking home back-to-back shot put conference championships in the event.
Alderman had seemingly done everything possible to help build her resume prior to NCAA Championship weekend. And yet, the civil engineering major still was not satisfied.
While some may have rested on their laurels prior to heading to NCAAs, Alderman wanted to make a statement. Competing at the Uncaged Eagle Open, MSOEs penultimate meet as a team prior to individual NCAA qualifiers being announced, Alderman notched one-last accomplishment to her belt.
Alderman broke the 15-meter mark.
Having already toppled every personal best, school record and conference record that she could muster, Alderman raised the bar one more time with a throw of 15.09 meters to win the meets shot put title.
The first-ever 15+ meter throw in MSOE track & field history, male or female. Unprecedented.
The importance of this milestone can be seen in the history of past shot put champions. At the Division III level, only one woman in the last 12 years has won the NCAA shot put title with a throw under the 15-meter mark.
The throw served as an exclamation point to Aldermans unforgettable 2026 regular season, and still serves as Division IIIs No. 1 ranked shot put throw this season heading into NCAAs.
And so naturally this past Friday, Alderman was amongst the three MSOE student-athletes selected to compete at the 2026 NCAA Outdoor National Championships this coming weekend.
Heading into her final career meet, Alderman has the chance to not only make MSOE history, but to finally add the one, final, elusive title that has evaded her up until now.
Alderman has the chance to come home a national champion.
And shes ready for the moment.
The 2026 NCAA Division III National Championships are set to run May 21-23 at Roger Harring Stadium in La Crosse, Wisconsin. The womens shot put prelims and finals, Aldermans event, will begin on Friday, May 22 at 1:00 p.m.