Bob Thurnhoffer is set to begin his fifth season as head track & field and cross country coach at Loyola University Chicago. Thurnhoffer, who will be entering his 17th season as a Division I coach, will look to continue his storied horizontal jumps tradition while continuing to build the sprints program at Loyola and maintain the great distance/middle-distance tradition that has made up the history of Loyola University Chicago track & field and cross country.
Overall, Thurnhoffer has guided his athletes to 22 school records and over 50 school-record performances, 28 conference titles, 66 conference top-three finishes, seven conference Most Valuable Performer awards, while overseeing six conference record-setting performances, and 25 NCAA Qualifiers.
In his first four years as head coach, Thurnhoffer saw unprecedented all-around growth in the men's and women's cross country/track & field programs at Loyola. The team has set hundreds of new top-10 marks in program history. The programs academic achievements maintained its prowess with seven members of the team being named to the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA) Academic All-District Teams. 16 Ramblers have landed on the United States Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) All-Academic team and eight athletes received the MVC Good Neighbor Award. The Ramblers also have seen a renaissance on the track and in the field with 16 athletes qualifying for the NCAA Championships, 65 All-Missouri Valley Conference performances that includes 29 Missouri Valley Conference Champions, and six MVC specialty award winners including three MVC Freshman of the Year awards just in 2019.
Thurnhoffer’s horizontal jumpers have continued to shine for close to a decade now collecting eight conference athlete of the year awards, six conference records, 18 NCAA qualifications, and 14 conference titles. Three male Ramblers have surpassed 25 feet in the long jump during that time, while three women went beyond the 20-foot barrier.
From the fall of 2014 through indoors of 2017, Thurnhoffer guided both the jumpers and sprinters at Loyola and experienced unprecedented results overseeing 18 school-record performances and 7 NCAA qualifications. Indoors in 2015, the Rambler men led the way at the Missouri Valley Conference Championships, racking up 42 points in the short sprints and horizontal jumps alone. James McLachlan stole the show for the Ramblers, breaking both the triple jump and 60m record en route to being named both the MVC Indoor Most Valuable Male Athlete and the MVC Indoor Most Outstanding Male Field Athlete, while also being nominated by the USTFCCCA as a finalist for the Midwest Regional Field Event Athlete of the Year. McLachlan leapt to a personal best mark of 52-02.50 (15.91m) in the triple jump, a mark that also ranks second in Scottish history, and blazed his way to a school-record time of 6.79 in the 60m dash.
Breanna Walker highlighted the Rambler women by smashing the 60m and 200m dash records in 7.53 and 24.49, respectively. The team's success continued into the outdoor season when, under Thurnhoffer's guidance, three Ramblers finished the 200m dash in under 21 seconds, marking the first time in program history that a Loyola athlete has cracked that barrier. Hayes finished in 20.94, with Chris Strup (20.97) and Kevin Glastetter (20.99) following close behind. Thurnhoffer also coached first-year triple jumper Antwon James, who went on to rise to the top of the NCAA ranks with a school-record leap of 51-11.25 (15.83m). Strup broke his way onto the national scene with a massive personal best and school record of 10.39 in the 100m dash, while the 4x100m relay of Strup, Hayes, Glastetter and Keagan Potts cruised to a conference title and school record of 40.50. The Rambler sprinters and jumpers led the way for the Ramblers at the MVC Outdoor Championships meet, totaling 55 points, and had seven NCAA qualifications, including McLachlan in the long jump (25-06.00/7.77m), James in the triple jump (51-11.25/15.83m), Strup in the 100m (10.39) and 200m (20.97) dashes, Hayes in the 200m dash (20.94) and Glastetter in the 200m (20.99) and 400m (46.79) dashes.
In 2014, Loyola became one of only five schools in the country to boast two long jumpers that cleared the 25' barrier. In his first season with Loyola, James broke the barrier and gained his first ever NCAA West Regional qualification with a leap of 25-00.00 (7.62m), while McLachlan won the British Under 23 Long Jump title with a leap of 25-02.75 (7.69m).
During the 2013 season, McLachlan and Candice Carajohn became the two most decorated jumpers in Horizon League history as the duo combined for four new conference records and captured a clean sweep of the conference long jump titles. McLachlan swept the jumping event titles at both the indoor and outdoor conference championships while earning three postseason honors: Horizon League Athlete of the Year (indoor) and Outstanding Field Performer (indoor and outdoor). His leap of 25-09.50 (7.86m) not only set the Loyola standard, but also positioned him as the second-best long jumper in Scottish history. McLachlan's mark of 51-01.50 (15.58m) in the triple jump during the indoor season set a new school record, and his massive outdoor triple jump personal best of 51-09.25 (15.78m) not only broke the Loyola standard, but also set the Horizon League outdoor record. Carajohn's breakout season included a 19-10.50 (6.05m) effort indoors to set the Horizon League long jump record, and a 20-03.75 (6.19m) leap to set the outdoor league record in the same event. She was named Horizon League Athlete of the Year after sweeping the jumping titles at the outdoor championships and also broke Loyola's triple jump record with a third-place finish at the Drake Relays following a jump of 41-08.50 (12.71m).
In 2011 and 2012, McLachlan emerged as one of the top horizontal jumpers in the country. In 2011, his leap of 25-00.50 (7.63m) broke the Horizon League record, Loyola record, and the long standing Scottish Junior National record. The following year, he leapt to an indoor personal-best and school-record mark of 25-04.00 (7.72m) to qualify for the NCAA Indoor Championships, where he went on to earn Second-Team USTFCCCA All-America honors. Carajohn, a walk-on, also emerged with a sensational personal-best leap and school-record mark of 19-11.50 (6.08m). Carajohn went on to win the Horizon League long jump title in 2012 and make her first appearance at the NCAA West Regionals.
Prior to his time at Loyola, Coach Thurnhoffer was an assistant jumps coach at the University of Illinois at Chicago (UIC). During his four years at UIC, Thurnhoffer's jumpers dominated the Horizon League and rewrote the record books, racking up four NCAA qualifications, four school records and 10 Horizon League titles. He was instrumental in the success of Idara Essien, who set multiple school and Horizon League records in the triple jump. Her leap of 40-06.75 (12.36m) held as the Horizon League record for seven years.
Thurnhoffer earned his undergraduate degree in exercise science from UIC. He is certified through the USTFCCCA as a Jumps, Combined Events, and Strength & Conditioning Specialist. Thurnhoffer is also Muscle Activation Techniques Jumpstart Certified, and Reflexive Performance Reset Level 1 and Level 2Â Certified.
Thurnhoffer has also presented at various clinics giving talks for Glazier Clinics on numerous occasions; Strategies in Long Jump Development-Concepts, Context, and Content; Pre-Season and In-Season Strength Training Design for Short Sprint and Jump Events; Training Methods to Develop your Long and Triple Jumpers; Training Themes for Enhanced Power Output and Motor Learning for Biomechanical Efficiency; The Art of Jumping Long-Connecting Sounds Penultimate and Takeoff Step Length to the Full Approach Using Complex Methodologies and Variability; Balancing Horizontal and Vertical Velocity in the Triple Jump-Takeoff Step Length Considerations, Phase Distribution, and Ground Contact Times.
Thurnhoffer also partnered with Glazier Vault to create coaching education videos on Continuous Long Jump Takeoff Drill and Variations, Skill Acquisition in Long Jump Approach Development, Considerations in Absolute Speed Development, Short Approach Long Jumping, and Long Jump Session Design.
As an athlete, Thurnhoffer competed for two years at the College of DuPage, where he earned NJCAA All-America honors in the triple jump, while earning Academic All-America status in the classroom. He then made the move to UIC for his final two seasons, where he earned All-Horizon League accolades, and he continued his career after graduation, earning a bronze medal in the triple jump at the 2005 USATF Club Nationals as a member of the Universal Sole Reebok Track club. Thurnhoffer is a native of Lombard, Ill. and graduated from Glenbard East High School.
https://anchor.fm/gillathletics/episodes/97-Bob-Thurnhoffer-Loyola-Ill--University-ehp2lh?
fbclid=IwAR3ui6I16yRi4BLnd66F4wjdw_oaTx25vq53qdVL_fxyZc1lCJH3EDi3t1s
https://simplifaster.com/articles/author/bobthurnhoffer/
http://loyolaphoenix.com/2019/10/creating-coaches-from-average-at-best-jumper-to-division-i-coach/
https://1080motion.com/bob-thurnhoffer-loyola-university-1080-sprint/
Athletes under Thurnhoffer's tutelage:
James McLachlan
- Indoor Long Jump: 7.72m/25'4" (Loyola Record)
- Outdoor Long Jump: 7.86m/25'9.5" (Loyola Record)
- Outdoor Long Jump: 7.63m/25'0.5" (Horizon League Record and Scottish Junior National Record)
- Indoor Triple Jump: 15.91m/52'2.5" (Loyola Record)
- Outdoor Triple Jump: 15.78m/51'9.5" (Horizon League Record)
- Indoor 60m: 6.79 (Loyola Record)Â
- Outdoor 100m: 10.55 (third all-time Loyola history)
- 2012 Horizon League Indoor Track & Field Athlete of the Year
- 2013 Horizon League Indoor Field Athlete of the Year
- 2013 Horizon League Outdoor Field Athlete of the Year
- 2015 MVC Indoor Most Valuable AthleteÂ
- 2015 MVC Indoor Field Athlete of the Year
- Six-time NCAA qualifier
- 2014 British U-23 Long Jump Champion
- Two-time European Championship qualifier in the long jump
- Eight-time conference champion in long and triple jump
Candice Carajohn
- Indoor Long Jump: 6.05m/19'10.25" (Loyola Record, Horizon League Record)
- Indoor Triple Jump: 12.33m/40'5.5" (Loyola Record)
- Outdoor Long Jump: 6.19m/20'3.75" (Loyola Record, Horizon League Record)
- Outdoor Triple Jump: 12.71m/41'8.5" (Loyola Record)
- Three-time NCAA qualifier
- 2013 Horizon League Outdoor Athlete of the Year
- Three-time conference champion in long and triple jump
Antwon James
- Indoor Long Jump: 7.27m/23'10.25" (third all-time Loyola history)
- Indoor Triple Jump: 15.22m/49'11.25" (second all-time Loyola history)
- Outdoor Long Jump: 7.62m/25'0" (third all-time Loyola history)
- Outdoor Triple Jump: 15.83m/51'11.25" (Loyola Record)
- Two-time NCAA qualifier
- Four-time MVC podium finisher
Chris Strup
- 60m Dash: 6.83
- 100m Dash: 10.39 (Loyola Record, MVC runner-up)
- 200m Dash: 20.97 (second all-time Loyola history)
- Two-time NCAA Qualifier
- Three-time MVC podium finisher
Kevin Glastetter
- 200m Dash: 20.99 (third all-time Loyola history)
- 400m Dash: 46.79
- Two-time NCAA Qualifier
- Three-time MVC podium finisherÂ
Jaz Hayes
- 100m Dash: 10.46 (second all-time Loyola history)
- Indoor 200m Dash: 21.54 (Loyola Record)
- Outdoor 200m Dash: 20.94 (Loyola Record)
- NCAA Qualifier
- Four-time MVC podium finisherÂ
Breanna Walker
- 60m Dash: 7.54 (Loyola Record)
- Indoor 200m Dash: 24.49 (Loyola Record)
- Outdoor 200m Dash: 24.15 (Loyola Record)
Kiera Washpun
- Indoor Long Jump: 6.03m/19'9.5" (second all-time Loyola history)
- Outdoor Long Jump: 6.10m/20'0.25" (third all-time Loyola history)
- NCAA qualifier
- Three-time MVC Podium Finisher
- 2017 MVC Outdoor Long Jump Champion
Eric Burns
- Indoor Long Jump: 7.69m/25’2.75" (second all-time Loyola history)
- Outdoor Long Jump: 7.67m/25'2" (second all-time Loyola history)
- Two time NCAA Qualifier
- 2019 MVC Indoor Long Jump Champion
- 2020 MVC Indoor Long Jump Champion                                                             Â
- 2020 MVC Indoor Field Event Athlete of the Year
- Four time MVC Podium Finisher
Men's 4 x 100m: Potts, Strup, Hayes, Glastetter
- 40.50: (Loyola Record)
- MVC Title in 2015
Mackenzie Arnold
- Outdoor Long Jump: 6.17m/20’3" (second all-time Loyola history)
- NCAA Qualifier
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Sarah Olojo
- Indoor Triple Jump: 12.22m/40’1.25" (second all-time Loyola history)
- Outdoor Triple Jump: 12.32m/40'5" (second all-time Loyola history)
- 2019 MVC Indoor Freshman of the Year
 Gift Chinda
- Indoor Triple Jump: 14.98m/49’1.75" (third all-time Loyola history)
- 2019 Indoor MVC Triple Jump 3rd Place
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Oyinlola Akinlosotu
- Indoor Triple Jump: 12.40m/40’8.25" (Loyola Record)
- 2019 Outdoor MVC Triple Jump Runner-Up
