Vernon Turner bet on himself.
The OU high jumper hadn’t cleared the bar at more than 7½ feet in four years. A lot can happen in four years, and did.
Turner as a freshman produced disappointing performances in the 2018 NCAA Indoors (fourth) and NCAA Outdoors (sixth). Then he transferred to Arkansas. Injured an ankle. Returned to OU. Fought off a malaise.
Turner, a phenom when he was coming out of Yukon High School and when he jumped 7 feet, 7¾ inches as a Sooner freshman, had become a mystery. What’s wrong with Turner? Whatever happened to that kid from Oklahoma?
Those were the questions floating around in the no-excuse world of track and field. You either run fast enough or you don’t. You either jump high enough or you don’t.
But Turner had been returning to form. In 2021, he placed fourth in the NCAA Indoor and fifth in the NCAA Outdoor, not with the dizzying heights of 7-7something, but still. He was on the rebound. Then Turner won the Big 12 Indoor in late February with a leap of 7-3¾.
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So when Southern Mississippi’s Corvell Todd cleared 7-6 (2.29 meters) on his first attempt at the height in the NCAA Indoors last Saturday in Birmingham, Alabama, and Turner missed on his first jump at 7-6, Turner said screw it. He knew at that point, he had to jump higher than 7-6 anyway, to win.
So Turner doubled down. He ordered the bar raised to 2.32 meters; 7-7¼. Only two men in the world this indoor season have gone so high.
Turner had two jumps at 7-7¼. The first was decent but didn’t clear. The second one cleared, and Turner was back. A national champion. A world contender.
“It’s about time,” Turner said. “Been a long time. I don’t think I ever had a fear of not getting back where I was. I just didn’t know how long it would take.”
OU coach Tim Langford and Turner himself credited Sooner vertical jumps coach Jerel Langley for his long work with Turner. Langley recruited Turner out of Yukon and stayed with the program even after a head-coaching change, which helped persuade Turner to return to Norman.
But Langford was a high jumper himself and knows the mentality required.
“As high jumpers, we go through slumps,” Langford said. “More than most, because if you’re just a hair off, it doesn’t line up.”
In other words, elite high jumpers must be strong and fast and possess impeccable technique. But they also must be 100 percent mentally consumed.
Turner said that he’s learned to focus on himself.
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“I had a lot going on outside track,” Turner said. “Setting everything aside, putting myself first, has helped me accomplish the things I wanted to.”
The exit to Arkansas. The return. The nagging ankle injury that still hurts from time to time. The Covid shutdown which wiped out both 2020 championships. Covid’s return this winter, which caused Turner to miss multiple stretches of practice.
But this time, Turner stayed mentally strong.
“He’s in a really good spot,” said Kevin Ritter, who coached Turner at Yukon. “I think he’s in a much better spot mentally than he was a couple of months ago or a year ago.
“I think these last two meets were big for him. That gave him the confidence to believe in what they’re doing right now.”
Turner has participated in two Olympic Trials and no-heighted both times. See what I mean about the mental side?
“I don’t know what it is,” Turner said. “I don’t know if I was burned out. I don’t know if I was tired. Can’t seem to pull it together at the Trials. But this last season (2021) at the Olympic Trials, those sit on my head. Those messed with me.
“In Worlds, every opportunity I’ve had, I’ve fumbled. That’s something I really need to do for myself.”
But now, only South Korea’s Sanghyeok Woo has jumped higher than Turner’s 7-7¼ this year. Woo cleared 7-9. American JuVaughn Harrison also has cleared 7-7¼.
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“I don’t think my goals ever wandered,” Turner said. “I always had the same goals. It was just trying to figure out how to get back where I was.
“I may have been in a dark place for awhile. As an athlete, everyone hits their times where they might not be doing what they want to do. I had that moment. But my goals never varied. I still believed I was the best, even when I wasn’t winning.”
Those goals are clear. Turner, who has a year of eligibility remaining after this season, wants to break the 33-year-old NCAA record of 2.38 meters (7-9½), set by Hollis Conway of Louisiana-Lafayette. And Turnerwants on the American team for the World Championships.
“I know I can be one of the best high jumpers in the world,” Turner said. “Now it’s trying to stay consistent.”
He believes he can jump 7-10. Maybe 7-11.
“If everything comes together and I’m as strong, maybe even take a shot at the world record,” Turner said, referring to Javier Sotomayor’s 8-0¼, set 29 years ago.
That’s high. That’s real high.
“I wouldn’t put anything past him,” Langford said. “He’s got that confidence in himself. Wouldn’t surprise me if you saw 7-10 come out of him.”
Turner faced adversity Saturday in Birmingham. His chief competitor got the draw on him. Turner had to dig deep and jump higher than he had gone in four years. He found the mental toughness to get it done.
Turner is back to flying high.
Berry Tramel: Berry can be reached at 405-760-8080 or at btramel@oklahoman.com. He can be heard Monday through Friday from 4:40-5:20 p.m. on The Sports Animal radio network, including FM-98.1. Support his work and that of other Oklahoman journalists by purchasing a digital subscription today.
