Soaring High: BHS pole vaulter battles adversity to touch the clouds

Sometimes the greatest triumph of all isn’t stampeding across the finish line first — it’s just getting back on the horse after you’ve taken an agonizing fall and getting back in the race.

And — when you’ve endured several jarring jolts — the measure of courage and victory over fear looms even larger.

If one understands this, one might understand the courageous odyssey this past spring by Bartlesville High girls pole vaulter Quincey Turner.

Only at one meet this season did Turner enjoy almost complete health — and she set a school record (12-feet-2-inches).

Other than that towering effort, Turner had to battle all season through the effects of injury.

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But, she still soared to fourth place (11-feet-even) in the Class 6A state meet.

She also placed second (11-feet-6) — and achieved the highest height of any senior — at the Meet of Champions.

Turner’s achievements during just a little more than two seasons of high school pole vaulting are legendary.

In her first high school meet — back on March 6, 2020, in Owasso — Turner finished second with an effort of 9-feet-even. That was just one foot below the school record.

In her second — and final — sophomore meet she again cleared 9-feet-even, earning her first place. The entire season shut down after that due to the virus-induced lockdown.

Turner opened her junior season (2021) by tying the school record (10-feet-even).

But, Turner would need a miracle — literally — before she continued her quest to climb closer to the clouds.

An injury in practice — in which one of her arms suffered a cut after getting caught on a piece of metal on the pole vault apparatus — nearly ended her career.

The prognosis on the spot suggested a severe mishap that might end her athletic pursuits.

But, after a torrent of prayers by herself and her loved ones, as she was transported to an out-of-town hospital, the arm miraculously mended to a large extent by the time she arrived.

She still required quick surgery — but within 10 days resumed her pole vaulting season.

She made her return about a month later — by sailing over the bar at 10-feet-6 and setting a new school record.

That was just a warm-up for the second phase of her season.

At the Class 6A regionals two weeks later she climbed to a new school mark of 11-feet-even to win first.

And, several days later Turner went higher again than any Lady Bruin ever had — 12-feet-even — to finish second in the 2021 state meet.

In less than a month, Turner had elevated the school record by a whopping two feet.

That seemed to set up a special senior season for the humble, graceful warrior.

But, then the weight of adversity’s gravity prevented her from reaching upward to most her goals, including challenging for the state record (13-feet-2).

Among then included a broken ankle last August and a fractured vertebrae that hampered her during the indoor season and into the spring.

Then she dislocated her elbow.

Through all the discomfort, physical impact and aches, Turner still willed herself to compete at the best level she could.

"There was a lot of pushing myself to the limit of where my body could go,” she said. “I had some really good goals going into this season, but I didn’t quite reach them. But, I kept pushing through the fear and pain. I probably went through seven or eight injuries during my high school career. … There were a lot of mental games I had to work on. It taught me a lot about pushing through obstacles."

Despite the broken ankle and spine injury, Turner still launched herself to glory when she cleared 12-feet-2 at the second meet of the season.

But, following that, limited by her injured elbow, she never cleared higher than 11-feet-6 — but she kept trying.

Turner still finished first in six of the 10 meets in which she jumped and second in three others.

Beyond the pole vault pit, Turner enjoyed her senior year of school because she had already gotten most her hard courses out of the way, plus she reconnected with many friends from her youth.

Turner plans to delay for several months the start of her full college education, in what her father, who is also the Bartlesville pole vault coach, called a gap year.

Turner plans on intensive training on the pole vault, becoming fully healthy, being more diligent in physical therapy and refocusing while rediscovering “what I find fun about pole vaulting.”

After that, her aim is to pole vault for Oklahoma State.

She credits both her parents for “helping me unpack a lot of emotional stuff. Both my parents have played a pivotal role in helping me getting through my fears.”

Her father — a former Oklahoma State pole vaulter — praised Turner’s physical and emotional assets in excelling in the difficult event.

“I think it’s a combination of sprint speed, gymnastics skills and the body control of a diver,” he said. “There’s a fair bit of bravery, as well. All four of those things put together makes a really, really great vaulter. In pole vaulting, you always get payback. The more you practice, the better you get.”

One of his daughter’s assets has been “she has never been intimidated by jumping high,” he said.

Considering Quincey didn’t start jumping until her sophomore season and she still finished within a foot of the state record is an indication of her potential, he added.

Bartlesville High track coach David Ayres referred to Turner’s quick progression as “phenomenal.”

“She’s an amazing kid,” he added, noting he had her in one of his classes and she scored the highest total. “She’s very competitive, a hard worker and super humble.”

This article originally appeared on Bartlesville Examiner-Enterprise: Soaring High: Lady Bruin pole vaulter overcomes injuries to touch sky