Oklahoma's Vernon Turner jumps to All-America accolades in NCAA Indoor Championships

Sooners land two second-team All-America accolades in high jump, shot put on Day 2

FAYETTEVILLE, AR — Once again, Vernon Turner is an All-American. This time, he did it at his old stomping grounds.

Oklahoma’s record-setting high-jumper leaped his way to first-team All-America honors for the second time in his career with a jump of 7-foot-3.

Vernon Turner / OU Athletics

Turner’s fourth-place finish Friday at the NCAA Indoor Track and Field Championships at Randal Tyson Track Center was the highlight of a solid effort by the Sooners.

Junior Chris Banks earned second-team All-America accolades with a high jump of 6-9 3/4, and shot putter Cooper Campbell landed second-team All-America honors with a throw of 60-7 3/4. Both results placed 15th in their respective events.

Turner, a junior from Tulsa who signed with OU out of Yukon High School, then spent a semester as a Razorback before transferring back to OU last year, also earned first-team All-America honors as a Sooner in 2018.

He jumped 7-6 as a high school senior — the national high school record and the best high jump by an American in the last 11 years.

OU senior Demarius Smith competed Friday in the prelims of the men's 200 meters, running a 20.97 to finish 12th in the event.

Junior Kristo Simulask represented the Sooners in day one action on Thursday in the men's heptathlon. He closed out the first day with 2,346 points, recording his best performance in the long jump with a 23-4 (7.11m) mark. The junior didn't record a height in the high jump and didn't compete in the 60-meter hurdles, pole vault or 1,000 meters.

Senior Essence Thomas and sophomore Mikeisha Welcome will compete Saturday night at 5 p.m. in the women's triple jump.