CHICAGO - Loyola University Chicago head men's and women's track & field and cross country coach Bob Thurnhoffer announced the addition of 11 student-athletes to his 2017-18 signing class on Tuesday afternoon. The 11 newcomers join winter signees Sidney Howland (El Dorado, Kan./El Dorado) and Molly Reighard (Waconia, Minn./Waconia).

"In 2016, I felt like we had one of the best recruiting classes in program history and with our 2017 class I really feel like we've done it again," Thurnhoffer commented. "We added depth as well as covering new event areas with elite talent."

Coach Thurnhoffer on the men's class: "On the men's side we had the aim of covering new event areas and replacing one of the all-time greats in Loyola history. After graduating Jaz Hayes this season, Tyler Elmore is being brought in to fill those shoes as an elite short sprinter. Emmanuel Champagne is coming to us from Canada and will be tremendous competitor in the steeplechase and the middle distance events. Gift Chinda joins our great young tradition of horizontal jumping and will cover the triple and long jump very well, and potentially help us in the sprints. We also signed Vince DiVinere who was one of the top long hurdlers in Illinois to cover the 400m hurdles, where he projects to be a factor immediately. Kenny Wallace, fresh off his third-place finish at the Ohio state meet in the mile, is a great addition to our distance squad along with Miles Kanipe and Mateo Nunez."

Coach Thurnhoffer on the women's class: "On the women's side, we bolstered our distance crew with some great recruits in Mimi Reimers and Abigail Jones. They will both be factors in cross country immediately, where we have all of our top runners returning. On the sprints side of things, Lauren Kroll comes to us having run sub 12 several times in the 100m this year. She'll join Molly Reighard and Sidney Howland in those events. All three will team up with our young women's sprint crew, which is really on the rise right now. We added another elite long jumper as well in Mackenzie Arnold. Kiera (Washpun) and her will have the opportunity to become a phenomenal dual threat next season."

Mackenzie Arnold – Yuba City, Calif./River Valley HS/Utah

All-Time Best Marks
Long Jump – 20-00.25

Coach Thurnhoffer on Arnold: "Mackenzie is transferring in from Utah of the Pac-12 Conference and we couldn't be more excited about her joining our program. The long jump has become a real specialty event for our program over the last few years so getting someone of her caliber in our program means a great deal. During the recruiting process meeting with her and her parents it quickly became apparent that she was a perfect fit for our program. She'll team up with Kiera (Washpun), who had a breakout season last year, in what should be an unbelievably good long jump duo next season."

Emmanuel Champagne – Laval, Quebec, Canada/Universite' Laval Collegiate

All-Time Best Marks
800m – 1:55.02
1,500m – 3:55.39
3,000m Steeplechase – 9:22.05

Assistant Coach Mircea Bogdan on Champagne: "Emmanuel is our lone international recruit that we signed for this fall. He has great range and a unique skill set. Based on his past results, Emmanuel will make an immediate impact with our program."

Gift Chinda – Loveland, Colo./Thompson Valley HS

All-Time Best Marks
Triple Jump – 46-07.25
Long Jump – 22-10.50
100m – 11.18
200m – 22.70
400m – 50.71

Coach Thurnhoffer on Chinda: "Very early on in the recruiting process, it was easy to tell that Gift was a great fit for our University and track & field program. He is a well-rounded individual that is academically driven and has many talents outside of the track, which is something I greatly appreciate. His talents on the track are extremely versatile and he will clearly be a contender in the Missouri Valley Conference right away. I believe his upside in the triple jump is huge and he has the talent to reach 50' and beyond."

Vince DiVenere – Glen Ellyn, Ill./Glenbard West HS

All-Time Best Marks
200m – 22.33
300m Hurdles – 38.16

Assistant Coach Jon DeGrave on DiVenere: "Vince is a really versatile athlete who was a workhorse for his high school team, running as many as four events even at the biggest meets of the year which show what a team oriented guy he is. Even though he is going to be transitioning from the 300 to the 400 hurdles, he is a guy that can make an immediate impact in the MVC and will also be a big contributor on our relays. Vince is hungry to get better and really find out what he is capable of and I am very confident that he will accomplish big things as a Rambler."

Tyler Elmore – Bolingbrook, Ill./Bolingbrook HS

All-Time Best Marks
100m – 10.71
200m – 21.84
400m – 50.86

Coach DeGrave on Elmore: "Tyler is such a raw talent and he is really just beginning to scratch the surface of what he is capable of. He came on really strong this season and showed that he was one of the most talented sprinters in the state of Illinois and has the ability to run all the events from the 60 up to the 400. Tyler perfectly fits the model of what we are looking for in a Rambler because he really demands a lot of himself in the classroom as well as on the track and I see him as someone that has all the tools to be a superstar in the MVC."

Abigail Jones – Woodstock, IL/Marian Central Catholic HS

All-Time Best Marks
1,600m – 5:06.70
3,200m – 10:57.65
3 Mile (XC) – 17:49.00

Assistant Coach Alan Peterson on Jones: "I'm very happy to add someone of Abigail's caliber to the team. She really embodies what our program is about and is an excellent fit. Abigail is a fierce competitor on the cross country course and has unlimited potential!"

Miles Kanipe – Dexter, Mich./Dexter HS

All-Time Best Marks
3,200m – 9:36.05

Coach Bogdan on Kanpie: "Miles is an outstanding student-athlete with great endurance potential to go along with great work ethic. Our cross country team will notice a big boost from his addition. I'm really excited that we signed Miles, and I look forward to working with him for the next four years. I am confident we will see some special performances out of him."

Lauren Kroll – Addison, Ill./Addison Trail HS

All-Time Best Marks
55m – 7.29
100m – 11.97
200m – 24.83

Coach Thurnhoffer on Kroll: "It's always great to get some of the top local talent into our program. As someone who grew up in the west suburbs, it's an area I'm always keeping a very close eye on. Lauren is, in my opinion, the most underrated sprinter in the state of Illinois. She was the first track & field athlete from her high school, which opened in 1965, to ever make it to the state meet. They did some great things with her over there at Addison Trail and I really believe she is a star in the making. She's an awesome girl, great student, and I really enjoyed getting to know her and her family throughout the recruiting process."

Mateo Nunez – Riverside, IL/Riverside Brookfield HS

All-Time Best Marks
3,200m – 9:39.09
3 Mile (XC) – 14:57.00

Coach Bogdan on Nunez: "Mateo is the kind of runner that wants to win every time you give him the chance, and that's what we are looking for in a student-athlete. He has good foot speed and endurance, which are key ingredients for successful NCAA running. Mateo has star qualities, and the goal now is to make sure he reaches his full potential over the course of the next four years."

Mimi Reimers – Shaker Heights, Ohio/Shaker Heights HS

All-Time Best Marks
1,600m – 5:06.70
3,200m – 10:57.65
5,000m (XC) – 18:20.10

Coach Peterson on Reimers: "I'm thrilled to have Mimi join the Rambler family. She is an extremely talented runner, but more importantly, is a great student and person. I know she will make an immediate impact both on and off the track and I am very excited to see what she will accomplish!"

Kenny Wallace – Vienna, OH/Matthews HS

All-Time Best Marks
1,600m – 4:16.33
3,200m – 9:35.26

Coach Bogdan on Wallace: "Kenny loves running and competition. He has a lot of talent in the distance events. He's a great addition to our program, and without a doubt his impact on our team will be significant early on. Kenny wants to take advantage of his running talent in college and I'm sure he will put great marks out there when he gets the opportunity."