Men's Track and Field
Jay Turner
- Title:
- Assistant Coach/Sprints
- Email:
- jerome.turner@msubobcats.com
- Phone:
- 406.994.6261
Jay Turner heads into his fourth year as part of the Bobcat coaching staff as the squad enters the 2021-22 season. Turner’s coaching duties focus on the sprint, hurdle and relay events.
Turner’s group has developed over his tenure with Montana State into one of the best in the Big Sky Conference. Over the course of four championship appearances, Turner’s athletes have accumulated five Big Sky titles and a combined 22 all-Big Sky performances.
His latest season, the 2021 outdoor campaign, may have been one of MSU’s best under Turner.
Drake Schneider improved on his school-record time in the 400 hurdles, which he originally set as a freshman, during his junior campaign and set it at 50.23 seconds. He eventually claimed his third consecutive gold medal in the event at the Big Sky Championships, becoming just the third Bobcats to ever achieve the feat and first Big Sky men’s runner to do it in the 400 hurdles in nearly 50 years. Schneider also anchored an MSU 4x400 relay to a silver medal showing. He went on to compete in the U.S. Olympic Team Trials during the summer of 2021.
Derrick Olsen, who previously earned an All-Big Sky showing in the 110 hurdles under Turner, did so again with a bronze medal in the event at the 2021 Big Sky meet. His time of 13.95 seconds shattered a school record though which paired with the program record in the 60 hurdles he set at the 2020 indoor championships.
Two other sprinters had breakout performances at the meet for Turner. Damien Nelson placed second in the men’s 200 and third in the 100, becoming the first Bobcat to claim all-Big Sky showings in both sprint events at the same meet in nine years. Elena Carter tallied her first all-Big Sky effort with a silver medal in the women’s 100 hurdles (13.82 seconds) behind the second fastest time in school history.
A variety of records have been broken under Turner’s watch. Along with the three combined by Schneider and Olsen, Tru Roginske broke the women’s 60 dash record in 2019 and the men’s 4x400 indoor relay squad set a record time en route to a gold medal.
In all, the women’s sprinters have set a combined 19 all-time top 10 efforts between individual and relay events during the indoor and outdoor seasons under Turner. The men’s sprinters have set a combined 18 similar marks under the Bobcat sprints coach.
Prior to his arrival in Bozeman, Turner spent the previous three seasons assisting the University of Akron’s track and field program as a volunteer assistant coach. His primary responsibilities included helping coach the sprint, hurdle and relay events and serve as the men’s and women’s Recruiting Coordinator for sprint, hurdle, and jumping events.
Turner played a role in helping the Zips’ men’s squad capture Mid-American Conference championships during both the 2016 and 2017 indoor and outdoor campaigns.
Turner spent time as the head boys track coach at Lorain High School from 2012 to 2015, and girls coach at Saint Joseph Academy from 2002 to 2011. Turner was also coach of sprints and relays for Ohio Flyers Track Club from 2005 to 2011.
During his time coaching high school and club, Turner helped guide the development of 47 AAU and USATF Junior Olympic All-Americans, 170 Ohio high school regional qualifiers, 39 Ohio state qualifiers, and nine Ohio state place winners. That included the 2016 Division 1 state champion in the 100 meter dash, who as a freshman became the first and only freshman male in Ohio Division 1 high school history to score in the state final of the 100 meter dash.
A native of Cleveland, Ohio, Turner earned a bachelor’s degree in exercise science/fitness management from Akron in 2016. In 2017, he completed his master’s degree in exercise physiology/adult fitness from Akron.
Turner is currently USATF Level 2 certified in sprints/hurdles/relays, as well as a USA Weightlifting Level 1 Sport Performance Coach.
Turner and his wife, LeTisha, live in Bozeman with their three daughters, Jasmaine, Alexis, and Brooklynn.
Turner’s group has developed over his tenure with Montana State into one of the best in the Big Sky Conference. Over the course of four championship appearances, Turner’s athletes have accumulated five Big Sky titles and a combined 22 all-Big Sky performances.
His latest season, the 2021 outdoor campaign, may have been one of MSU’s best under Turner.
Drake Schneider improved on his school-record time in the 400 hurdles, which he originally set as a freshman, during his junior campaign and set it at 50.23 seconds. He eventually claimed his third consecutive gold medal in the event at the Big Sky Championships, becoming just the third Bobcats to ever achieve the feat and first Big Sky men’s runner to do it in the 400 hurdles in nearly 50 years. Schneider also anchored an MSU 4x400 relay to a silver medal showing. He went on to compete in the U.S. Olympic Team Trials during the summer of 2021.
Derrick Olsen, who previously earned an All-Big Sky showing in the 110 hurdles under Turner, did so again with a bronze medal in the event at the 2021 Big Sky meet. His time of 13.95 seconds shattered a school record though which paired with the program record in the 60 hurdles he set at the 2020 indoor championships.
Two other sprinters had breakout performances at the meet for Turner. Damien Nelson placed second in the men’s 200 and third in the 100, becoming the first Bobcat to claim all-Big Sky showings in both sprint events at the same meet in nine years. Elena Carter tallied her first all-Big Sky effort with a silver medal in the women’s 100 hurdles (13.82 seconds) behind the second fastest time in school history.
A variety of records have been broken under Turner’s watch. Along with the three combined by Schneider and Olsen, Tru Roginske broke the women’s 60 dash record in 2019 and the men’s 4x400 indoor relay squad set a record time en route to a gold medal.
In all, the women’s sprinters have set a combined 19 all-time top 10 efforts between individual and relay events during the indoor and outdoor seasons under Turner. The men’s sprinters have set a combined 18 similar marks under the Bobcat sprints coach.
Prior to his arrival in Bozeman, Turner spent the previous three seasons assisting the University of Akron’s track and field program as a volunteer assistant coach. His primary responsibilities included helping coach the sprint, hurdle and relay events and serve as the men’s and women’s Recruiting Coordinator for sprint, hurdle, and jumping events.
Turner played a role in helping the Zips’ men’s squad capture Mid-American Conference championships during both the 2016 and 2017 indoor and outdoor campaigns.
Turner spent time as the head boys track coach at Lorain High School from 2012 to 2015, and girls coach at Saint Joseph Academy from 2002 to 2011. Turner was also coach of sprints and relays for Ohio Flyers Track Club from 2005 to 2011.
During his time coaching high school and club, Turner helped guide the development of 47 AAU and USATF Junior Olympic All-Americans, 170 Ohio high school regional qualifiers, 39 Ohio state qualifiers, and nine Ohio state place winners. That included the 2016 Division 1 state champion in the 100 meter dash, who as a freshman became the first and only freshman male in Ohio Division 1 high school history to score in the state final of the 100 meter dash.
A native of Cleveland, Ohio, Turner earned a bachelor’s degree in exercise science/fitness management from Akron in 2016. In 2017, he completed his master’s degree in exercise physiology/adult fitness from Akron.
Turner is currently USATF Level 2 certified in sprints/hurdles/relays, as well as a USA Weightlifting Level 1 Sport Performance Coach.
Turner and his wife, LeTisha, live in Bozeman with their three daughters, Jasmaine, Alexis, and Brooklynn.
Big Sky Preview
Friday, February 11
Track and Field Big Sky Championships
Monday, February 18
Coach Kennedy - Feb. 11, 2013
Tuesday, February 12
Coach Kennedy - Feb. 4, 2013
Tuesday, February 05
