Decathlete Jack Turner will join Razorbacks next season

FAYETTEVILLE – University of Texas-San Antonio junior Jack Turner will be transferring to the University of Arkansas for the 2023-24 season joining a talented Razorback multi-event group.

The Arkansas incoming class for next season also includes World U20 decathlon champion Gabriel Emmanuel from the Netherlands along with John Scott Kendricks, a two-time Mississippi state pole vault champion; sprinter Steven McElroy, a transfer from Cincinnati who is a two-time World U20 medalist in the 400m and 4 x 400m relay; and Andrew Hughes, a three-time Oklahoma state high jump champion.

Turner, from Exeter, England (St. Peter’s Prep), is seeded sixth in the upcoming 2023 NCAA Championship decathlon with a score of 8,011 points, which improved his UTSA record of 7,659 points set in 2021.

Joining Turner in this year’s NCAA decathlon field in Austin are three Razorbacks – Yariel Soto Torrado, Marcus Weaver, and Daniel Spejcher – who are seeded seventh, eighth, and 20th among 24 entrants.

In surpassing 8,000 points, Turner became the seventh man in British history to better the 8k barrier.

The school and meet record score produced by Turner came in winning the 2023 Conference USA decathlon and completed a sweep of league titles. He claimed the heptathlon title indoors with a career best and meet record score of 5,794 points, which ranks second all-time at UTSA.

This marked Turner’s second decathlon title and third heptathlon championship within Conference USA.

In 2022, Turner won the Conference USA decathlon held in San Antonio with a score of 7,659 after recovering from an emergency appendix operation in January of that year. Turner went on to earn a bronze medal at the United Kingdom Championships held in Manchester in June.

During 2021, he completed a sweep of Conference USA multi-event titles with scores of 7,487 in the decathlon and 5,489 in the heptathlon. Turner also claimed bronze medals in the long jump at both of those 2021 Conference USA meets.

Turner’s first league title came in the 2020 Conference USA heptathlon with a 5,142 tally.

In addition to his multi-event scores, career best collegiate marks for Turner include 7.03 (60), 10.94 (100), 48.14 (400), 2:43.17 (1,000), 4:35.31 (1,500), 8.19 (60H), 14.30 (110H), 6-8.76|2.05 (HJ), 15-11|4.85 (PV), 25-6.75|7.79 (LJ), 44-3.5|13.50 (SP), 142-1|43.31 (DT), and 179-2|54.61 (JT).

Prior to attending UTSA, Turner was the 2018 English Schools U20 decathlon national champion as well as the British U18 decathlon record holder with 7,258 points. Turner set the U18 record when he represented Great Britain at the European Youth Championships in Hungary, finishing sixth.