FAYETTEVILLE – For the second-straight year, University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff high jumper Caleb Snowden will compete at nationals.
Snowden and Arkansas’ Romaine Beckford, the reigning high jump national champion, tied for first in the NCAA Outdoor Track and Field First Round on Friday at John McDonnell Field at the University of Arkansas, Fayetteville.
“Feeling pretty good, especially going to Eugene,” Snowden said. “My first time competing there, so yeah, looking forward to it.”
The 2024 NCAA Division I Outdoor Track and Field Championships will be held at Hayward Field in Eugene, Oregon, a well-known facility which usually hosts nationals. Last year was one of the exceptions with the University of Texas hosting.
Snowden and Beckford were among six jumpers to clear 2.20 meters Friday. They tied for first place as they were the only jumpers with no failed attempts, though there are no official “winners” in the First Round. The top 12 finishers in each event advance to nationals, and the event did not proceed past 2.20 meters as the qualifiers had been determined.
Independent reporting for Pine Bluff & Jefferson County since 1879.
UAPB coach Christopher McCoy said Snowden has been humble but determined this year.
“He said that he want to be one of the best in the country,” McCoy said. “He been working hard. We trained a little bit this year and do a little bit more explosive stuff with him, and he just been jumping good all year long.”
Snowden entered the meet ranked No. 2 in the West behind Nebraska’s Tyus Wilson. Wilson finished third with one failed attempt.
Snowden and Wilson both passed the first two heights and began jumping at 2.09 meters. Beckford, who entered ranked No. 5 in the West, passed only the first height and succeeded in all five of his leaps.
This will be Snowden’s second trip to nationals. He said experiencing it last year should help him this year.
“You kind of know what to expect, how everything is going to go,” Snowden said. “For the people that might not have qualified last year, I have experience, know how it’s going to be. So, I feel like, yeah, it’ll help.”
Last year, he finished 11th in Austin, Texas, after clearing 2.16 meters. Beckford, then competing for South Florida, claimed gold after clearing 2.27 meters.
Snowden’s heights are much improved since last year’s trip to nationals. He matched Beckford’s championship-winning 2.27 meters on April 26 at the Memphis Tiger Invitational. Snowden won the SWAC championship earlier this month with a SWAC-record leap of 2.22 meters.
Snowden said he improved a lot this season, breaking his personal record several times.
“I’m still working on it, but [I am] working on my speed through the curve and staying away from the bar,” Snowden said. “Just those little technique things that I need to work on, and I’ve been doing them pretty good, so, being more consistent.”
Nationals will be held June 5-8.
Snowden was not the only Golden Lion to compete Friday.
The UAPB 4×100-meter relay team finished seventh in its heat and 22nd overall with a time of 40.30 seconds. The Golden Lions had trouble on the final exchange but used a final push to catch UTEP at the finish line. They also finished ahead of Arkansas, which finished last overall.
Freshman Jordan Pierre finished eighth in his heat of the 400-meter dash finals and 24th overall with a time of 47.14 seconds. He ran it in 46.12 seconds in Wednesday’s preliminaries to reach Friday’s finals.
In the day’s final event, the UAPB 4×400-meter relay team finished seventh in its heat and 13th overall with a time of 3:05.38. The Golden Lions nearly caught Iowa on the final stretch, but the Hawkeyes stayed in front by 0.03 seconds.
The top three from each heat and the next three fastest overall times advanced. UAPB finished two spots overall behind the final at large qualifier to nationals, Oklahoma State (3:05.23). The Golden Lions, along with Iowa, Washington State and Houston, finished with a better time than Baylor, but the Bears qualified with a time of 3:06.34 because they finished third in their heat.
The lone Lady Lion to travel to Fayetteville, Jaylynn Hampton, will compete Saturday in the women’s high jump.