Dunbar High grad Caleb Snowden takes second at US Olympic Track Trials in high jump final

Dunbar High graduate Caleb Snowden, a senior at the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff, placed second in the men's high jump at the U.S. Olympic Track and Field Finals Sunday night in Eugene, Oregon.

The Lehigh Acres native jumped a personal-best 2.27 meters (7 feet, 5 1/4 inches), placing behind winner Shelby McEwen, who jumped 2.30 meters or 7-6 1/2. Snowden's previous best was 2.26 meters set on March 30.

Despite his finish, Snowden did not qualify for the Paris Olympic Games. He had not achieved the Olympic standard height of 2.33 meters (7-7 3/4) and the top 32 jumpers in the world qualify for the Games and Snowden entered the competition ranked 64th in the world.

Caleb Snowden a college star

The second at the U.S. Olympic Trials wrap up a strong competitive season for Snowden.

Snowden was one of only four HBCU athletes to qualify for the NCAA Division I Track & Field Championships and was the only one to finish in the top three in an individual event. He placed third, clearing a height of 2.23 meters or 7-3 3/4, which also earned him First Team All-America honors. He placed 11th at the NCAA championships last year. He also won the SWAC indoor and outdoor high jumps titles for the second year in a row.

In March, Snowden earned First Team All-America honors for the first time in his career by placing second in the high jump event at the NCAA Indoor Track & Field Championship held in Boston with a leap of 2.24 meters. Snowden became Arkansas-Pine Bluff's first All-American and the first high jumper from an HBCU to place in the top two in the NCAA Indoor Championship in the last 10 years.

Caleb Snowden a high school standout at Dunbar

Snowden was LCAC, Class 2A-District 12, and 2A-Region 3 high jump champion his junior season, and turned in a personal-best jump of 2.12 meters to win the Class 2A state title. He was the Class 2A state runner-up as a sophomore.

His senior year was eliminated due to the Covid pandemic but he was named a National Scholastic Athletic Foundation Indoor Track and Field All-American. He was ranked No. 1 in Florida and 10th nationally in the high jump at the time.