GMLOKS high jumper Sam Snitker has taken his event by storm

May 1—GRAND MEADOW — There had been plenty of coaxing going on when it came to Sam Snitker. That especially came from the Hubkas — father Jim and sons Garrison and Gavin.

Jim Hubka is a long-time track-and-field coach for Grand Meadow/LeRoy-Ostrander/Kingsland/Southland. Garrison is a former star distance runner at GMLOKS and junior Gavin a current distance guy.

As for Snitker, he is an ultra-bouncy 6-foot-2 senior. That couldn't be missed as a Kingsland basketball player, where he was an above-the-rim guy and an easy dunker as a two-year starter. Jim Hubka was an assistant coach on both of those teams.

The Hubkas saw all of that bounce, then proceeded to coax him, eager to get family friend Snitker to turn his attention to track and field.

"I coached him in basketball, and he is a kid who can do anything for you," Jim Hubka said. "He's very athletic and a guy who has been invited to do numerous sports in high school. The other thing about him is he is very humble and very coachable."

Finally, a few weeks into last track-and-field season, Snitker relented, putting down his baseball glove and golf clubs and then bound for his first track-and-field practice, his eyes on what the Hubkas earmarked for him — the high jump.

In his very first practice try, Snitker made the Hubkas look like geniuses, sailing 6 feet, a virtually unheard of clearance for a novice.

GMLOKS high jump coach Paul Stevens was watching. It left him with goosebumps. Having gone 6 feet instantly made Snitker the new GMLOKS program high jump record holder.

"When he did that, another coach and I looked at each other and said, 'Wow, we have something here," Stevens said.

Nothing has been the same for the humble and affable senior since. Snitker has lots of athletic niches — basketball, football, golf, baseball and track and field — but after clearing 6 feet on his very first try, this would forever now be his No. 1 niche, bounding over high jump bars.

"I think I'd have gone out for (track and field) a lot earlier had I known I could do this well," said Snitker, whose self praise stops there. "I think I could be much better than I am now."

That's saying a lot and he's also undoubtedly correct. Already, just two-years into the high jump, Snitker is off the charts. He made that official Friday at Hamline University in St. Paul, identifying himself as among the top handful of high jumpers in the state. He did it by successfully sailing 6-feet-8 in the ultra-competitive Elite Meet, easily winning the event in what is annually the most talent-heavy meet in the state, going 4 inches higher than anyone else.

Truthfully, it wasn't a surprise. Snitker wound up going 6-4 to close last season, giving him a fourth-place finish in the Class 1A state meet.

This year, he just keeps jumping. He started off with a 6-6 clearance in his first meet, in Mankato. He followed that by going 6-7 a couple of weeks later at Triton, which led to the big buzz he created at the Elite Meet, with that 6-8 effort.

"I was in disbelief when I did that, because I'd nicked the bar on that jump," Snitker said. "I was surprised when it stayed up there; it was wobbling a bit. But I knew I could do 6-8. That was my goal and I knew it was within my reach."

Helping Snitker make such lofty strides this season has been his investment in his new sport. Over the summer, he attended the Kangaroo Camp in New Prague, it tailored for high jumpers and run by former Olympian high jumper Hugo Munoz.

It was a one-day deal. One of the best pieces of advice Snitker got from Munoz was to increase by one stride his run up to the bar.

"He really helped me with my takeoff," Snitker said. "I knew he was good at what he does, and all the advice he gave me, I really focused on it."

Snitker made another visit to Munoz and his camp just before the track-and-field season started. In between, he worked on his explosion during the basketball season, up early three times per week for weight-room work.

Track and field is different for Snitker now. It's become a serious undertaking. The guy who had to be coaxed to come out for the sport is now all in and has every intention of being a collegiate high jumper.

He also has a couple things to check off before this high school season is done. He wants to be a state champion and he wants to keep raising his game.

"I want to go 6-feet-10," Snitker said. "That's going to be hard, but it's doable."

Two years a high jumper and already toying with 6-10.

That's incredible. That's Sam Snitker.