Henry Patterson

Henry T. Patterson Jr. (born May 27, 1975) is an American former high jumper. He won the 1999 USA Indoor Track and Field Championships in the high jump, upsetting Olympic gold medalist Charles Austin. Patterson represented the United States at the 1999 World Championships and Pan American Games, finishing 7th in the latter competition. He was an All-American for the Toledo Rockets track and field team.

Career For Admiral King HS, Patterson ran track his freshman year but switched to baseball as a sophomore and junior after the track team was dropped for financial reasons. He returned to high school competition in 1993, as a senior coached by Tom Below. He jumped in his first meet back and was considered a state championship title contender. He instead competed for the Toledo Rockets track and field team.

As a Toledo freshman, Patterson finished runner-up at the 1994 USA U20 Outdoor Track and Field Championships. The following year, he jumped to set a school record in the event. Patterson competed at the 1996 United States Olympic trials, where he advanced past the preliminary round but did not record a height in the finals.

Patterson finished 5th in the high jump at the 1997 NCAA Division I Outdoor Track and Field Championships, earning his first top-eight All-America selection.

Though his primary event was the high jump, Patterson also competed in combined track and field events including the indoor pentathlon and decathlon at Toledo.

Patterson continued competing after graduation, winning the 1999 USA Indoor Track and Field Championships with a 2.30 m mark. He was described as relatively unknown going into the championships as he upset favorite Charles Austin. He was runner-up at the 1999 USA Outdoor Track and Field Championships, qualifying him to represent the United States at the 1999 Pan American Games and at the 1999 World Championships in Athletics. At the Pan American Games, Patterson finished 8th in the finals (later revised to 7th after the winner Javier Sotomayor was disqualified). At the World Championships, Patterson was 13th in the 'B' qualification group with a 2.20 m mark and did not advance to the finals.

Patterson didn't clear a height at the 2005 USA Indoor Track and Field Championships but was 6th at the 2005 USA Outdoor Track and Field Championships. He competed at other meets in Ohio and Indiana through 2008. At the University of Toledo, he majored in political science. He continued post-graduate studies at Cleveland State University and Cleveland-Marshall College of Law.

In December 2005, Patterson was named to the Toledo Rockets hall of fame.

Patterson later became an assistant professor of political science at Lorain County Community College and was a lawyer for Giardini, Cook & NIcol, LLC. He also became a coach at Lorain High School.