Friday night at one of the most famous track and field facilities in the country, a University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff athlete jumped to a podium finish.
UAPB senior Caleb Snowden won bronze in the men’s high jump at the NCAA Division I Outdoor Track and Field Championships at Hayward Field in Eugene, Ore.
Arkansas senior Romaine Beckford, who entered as the reigning outdoor and indoor national champion, successfully defended his title as the only jumper to clear 2.26 meters.
Nebraska junior Tyus Wilson, who entered the meet ranked No. 1, finished second. Snowden finished third.
They were the only jumpers to clear 2.23 meters. Beckford clinched the gold by clearing 2.26 meters on his second attempt. Wilson and Snowden both failed to clear that height. Wilson took silver over Snowden as he had cleared 2.23 in one try, whereas Snowden needed three jumps to clear it.
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Both fell short of their personal bests. Wilson had cleared 2.29 meters last month at the Big 10 championships, while Snowden cleared 2.27 meters in late April.
Snowden started the event strong. After passing the first height, 2.07 meters, he cleared the next three without failing a jump before needing three tries to clear 2.23.
Wilson also passed 2.07 meters and cleared 2.12 meters in one try, but tallied three fails over the next two heights and needed three attempts to clear 2.20 meters. He was visibly excited when he cleared 2.23 meters on his first try, which was justified as it eventually won him the silver medal.
Snowden’s finish earns him outdoor All-American status for the first time, an honor he also earned at the indoor championships in March, where he finished second to Beckford.
Joining the top three as All-Americans were Harvard’s Tito Alofe, Kansas’s Devin Loudermilk, Oklahoma’s Kyren Washington, Georgia’s Riyon Rankin, and Wichita State’s Brady Palen.