Men's Track & Field
Women's Track & Field
Vince Oliver

Vince Oliver

Title: Head Men's & Women's Track Coach
Phone Number: (740) 317-3867
Email Address: voliver@franciscan.edu

Vincent Oliver is in his first year of Coaching Track & Field at Franciscan University. Vince also is a Project Coordinator at Franciscan University in the Physical Plant Services Department.

Coach Oliver has more than 10 years of coaching experience at various levels of competition including five years as Track and Field coach at Steubenville Catholic Central's Jr. High School program and six years as a Football coach at Steubenville Catholic Central High School and Jr. High programs. 

Coach Oliver is a life long resident of the Steubenville area and attended Catholic Central High School and Slippery Rock University. He is the son of Vincent C. Oliver and Alyce Sue Oliver.  Coach Oliver is married to Nancy and is the proud father of six children - Isabella, Vincent Jr., Austin, Brittney, Taylor and Zachary. He and his family currently reside in Weirton, WV. and are members of St. Paul's Roman Catholic Church in Weirton.

Men's Track & Field
Women's Track & Field
Ryan Dorn

Ryan Dorn

Title: Assistant Coach (Throws)
Men's Track & Field
Women's Track & Field
Alan Schreck

Alan Schreck

Title: Assistant Coach (Distance)

Dr. Alan Schreck has been coaching track and field (and one season high school cross-country) for the past 18 years on the grammar school, junior high, high school and college levels. He also coaches for the Steuben Striders, a summer youth track league in Steubenville. Dr. Schreck is an avid 5k runner, and has been designated a “Legend” (highest achievement level) a number of times in the Franciscan University Worksite Wellness Program. He also enjoys backpacking, camping and canoeing as an active Boy Scout leader. He is a full professor of theology at Franciscan University of Steubenville, has served 15 years as chair for the theology department, and is the author of 12 books in his academic fields  (Church history, Catholic doctrine and apologetics, Second Vatican Council).

Men's Track & Field
Women's Track & Field
Jack Thornton jr.

Jack Thornton jr.

Title: Assistant Coach (Sprints, Hurdles and Jumps)

Jack Thornton, Jr. is entering his third season as an Assistant Coach for the Men’s and Women’s Track and Field program. He will specialize in coaching the sprinters, hurdlers and the horizontal jumping events.

Thornton has more than 30 years of coaching experience in track and field, cross country and women’s basketball. Thornton is a retired educator and athletic coach of the Warren, Ohio city school district. He began and ended his teaching and coaching career at Warren Western Reserve and Warren G. Harding High Schools. His boys and girls track teams recorded numerous individual and relay team conference, county, district, and regional championships as well. He sent many individuals and relay teams to the Division I High School State Championships.

Collegiately, Thornton served as the sprints and hurdles coach at Malone University in Canton, Ohio, from 2006 to 2008. During his tenure, he helped bring much attention to the men's and women's track and field programs. He helped break many of Malone's indoor and outdoor track and field records. He also was instramental in helping coach the women's team to American Mideast Conference titles in 2006 and runner-up honors in 2007 and 2008. The men's team captured th AMC Championship in 2008 and were runners-up in 2006 and 2007. Furthermore, he helped the women's team capture titles in the National Christian College Championships in 2006, 2008, and runner-up honors in 2007. Thornton also helped the Malone Men's 2007 team capture their first ever national Christian College Championship since 1991, and runner-up honors in 2006, and 2008, respectively. In addition, Thornton helped Malone send an average of 30 participants to the NAIA Indoor and Outdoor National Championships.

Similarly, Thornton has had an impact on the Franciscan University of Steubenville men's and women's track and field programs. Thornton initially served as the distance and jumps coach in 2010 and helped break six school marks, men (4) and women (2). During the 2011 season, Thornton helped break 14 school records, men (10) and women (4), while serving as the sprints, hurdles and jumps coach.

Thornton is the founder, program director, and head coach of the Warren Striders Track Club, Inc. and has served as the organization’s CEO since its inception in 1977. Under Thornton's tutelege, the Striders have earned numerous district and regional Junior Olympics Championships and an boast of having one individual National Junior Olympics Champion. The organization has sent more than 100 participants to the Nation Junior Olympics Championships since their first participation in 1982, while producing participants to the last 12 consecutive national meets (2000-2011), and has had club representation in 27 of the last 29 national championships in the club's 34 year history. Thornton, who also competes as a senior Olympian, has participated in three National Senior Olympics games (2007, 2009, 2011), placing fifth in the triple jump at both the 2007 and 2009 meets respectively. Thornton placed 6th in the long jump and 12th in the 1500m race/walk at the 2011 Senior Olympics Nationals. Thornton is most proud of coaching a Steubenville resident to gold medals in the 100m and 200m at the 2011 national senior games and as a silver medalist in both the 100 and 200 meter events at the 2009 National Senior Olympic Games.

Thornton, a certified USATF level I coach, also holds IYCA level I youth fitness specialist certification.

Jack is a native of Steubenville and a graduate of Steubenville High School, where he competed as a middle distance runner. He earned a Bachelor of Arts in American History and Secondary History from the College of Steubenville and graduated with a Masters of Agro-American Studies from Boston University (1971).

Thornton has two daughters and six grandchildren and resides in Warren, Ohio.

JACK THORNTON, JR. IS ENTERING HIS THIRD SEASON AS AN ASSISTANT COACH FOR THE MEN’S AND WOMEN’S TRACK AND FIELD PROGRAM AT FRANCISCAN UNIVERSITY. HE WILL SPECIALIZE IN COACHING THE SPRINTERS, HURDLERS AND THE HORIZONTAL JUMPING EVENTS.

 

THORNTON HAS MORE THAN 30 YEARS OF COACHING EXPERIENCE IN TRACK AND FIELD, CROSS COUNTRY AND WOMEN’S BASKETBALL.  THORNTON IS A RETIRED EDUCATOR AND ATHLETIC COACH OF THE WARREN, OHIO CITY SCHOOLS DISTRICT. HE BEGAN AND ENDED HIS TEACHING AND COACHING CAREERS AT WARREN WESTERN RESERVE AND WARREN G. HARDING HIGH SCHOOLS. HIS BOYS AND GIRLS TEAMS RECORDED NUMEROUS INDIVIDUAL AND RELAY TEAM CONFERENCE (STEEL VALLEY), COUNTY (TRUMBULL), DISTRICT (NORTHEAST) AND REGIONAL (NORTHEAST) CHAMPIONSHIPS. HE SENT MANY INDIVIDUALS AND RELAY TEAMS TO THE DIVISION I OHIO HIGH SCHOOL STATE CHAMPIONSHIPS.

 

COLLEGIATELY, THORNTON SERVED AS THE SPRINTS AND HURDLES COACH AT MALONE COLLEGE (NOW MALONE UNIVERSITY) IN CANTON, OHIO ( 2006-2008). DURING HIS TENURE, HE HELPED BRING MUCH ATTENTION TO THE MEN’S AND WOMEN’S TRACK AND FIELD PROGRAMS.  HE HELPED BREAK MANY OF MALONE’S INDOOR AND OUTDOOR TRACK AND FIELD RECORDS. HE ALSO WAS INSTRUMENTAL IN HELPING COACH THE WOMEN’S TEAM TO AMERICAN MIDEAST CONFERENCE TITLES IN 2006 AND RUNNER-UP HONORS IN 2007 AND 2008. THE MEN’S TEAM CAPTURED THE AMC CHAMPIONSHIP IN 2008 AND WERE RUNNER-UPS IN 2006 AND 2007. FURTHERMORE, HE HELPED THE WOMEN’S TEAM CAPTURE TITLES IN THE NATIONAL CHRISTIAN COLLEGE CHAMPIONSHIPS IN 2006, 2008, AND RUNNER-UP HONORS IN 2007. THORNTON ALSO HELPED THE MALONE MEN’S 2007 TEAM CAPTURE THEIR FIRST EVER NATIONAL CHRISTIAN COLLEGE CHAMPIONSHIP SINCE 1991, AND RUNNER-UP HONORS IN 2006, AND 2008, RESPECTIVELY. IN ADDITION, THORNTON HELPED MALONE SEND AN AVERAGE OF 30 PARTICIPANTS TO THE NAIA INDOOR AND OUTDOOR NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS.

 

SIMILARLY, THORNTON HAS HAD AN IMPACT ON THE FRANCISCAN UNIVERSITY OF STEUBENVILLE MEN’S AND WOMEN’S TRACK AND FIELD PROGRAMS. THORNTON INITIALLY SERVED AS THE DISTANCE AND JUMPS COACH IN 2010 AND HELPED BREAK SIX SCHOOL MARKS, MEN (4) AND WOMEN (2). DURING THE 2011 SEASON, THORNTON HELPED BREAK 14 SCHOOL RECORDS, MEN (10) AND WOMEN (4), WHILE SERVING AS THE SPRINTS, HURDLES, AND JUMPS COACH.

 

THORNTON IS THE FOUNDER, PROGRAM DIRECTOR AND HEAD COACH OF THE WARREN STRIDERS TRACK CLUB, INC. AND HAS SERVED AS THE ORGANIZATION’S CEO SINCE ITS INCEPTION IN 1977. UNDER THORNTON’S TUTELEGE, THE STRIDERS HAVE EARNED NUMEROUS DISTRICT AND REGIONAL JUNIOR OLYMPICS CHAMPIONSHIPS AND CAN BOAST OF HAVING ONE INDIVIDUAL NATIONAL JUNIOR OLYMPICS CHAMPION. THE ORGANIZATION HAS SENT OVER 100 PARTICIPANTS TO THE NATIONAL JUNIOR OLYMPICS CHAMPIONSHIPS SINCE THEIR FIRST PARTICIPATION IN 1982, WHILE PRODUCING PARTICIPANTS TO THE LAST 12 CONSECUTIVE NATIONAL MEETS (2000-2011), AND HAS HAD CLUB REPRESENTATION IN 27 OF THE LAST 29 NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS IN THE CLUB’S 34 YEAR HISTORY. THORNTON, WHO ALSO COMPETES AS A SENIOR OLYMPIAN, HAS PARTICIPATED IN THREE NATIONAL SENIOR OLYMPICS GAMES ( 2007, 2009, 2011 ), PLACING FIFTH IN THE TRIPLE JUMP AT BOTH THE 2007 AND 2009 MEETS RESPECTIVELY. THORNTON  PLACED  6TH IN THE LONG JUMP AND 12TH IN THE 1500 m RACEWALK AT THE 2011 SR. OLYMPICS NATIONALS.  THORNTON IS MOST PROUD OF COACHING A STEUBENVILLE RESIDENT TO GOLD MEDALS IN THE 100m AND 200m AT THE 2011 NATIONAL SENIOR GAMES AND AS A SILVER MEDALIST IN BOTH THE 100 AND 200 METER EVENTS AT THE 2009 NATIONAL SENIOR OLYMPIC GAMES.

 

THORNTON, A CERTIFIED USATF LEVEL I COACH, ALSO HOLDS IYCA LEVEL I YOUTH FITNESS SPECIALIST CERTIFICATION.

 

JACK IS A NATIVE OF STEUBENVILLE AND A GRADUATE OF STEUBENVILLE HIGH SCHOOL, WHERE HE COMPETED AS A MIDDLE DISTANCE RUNNER. HE EARNED HIS BACHELOR’S DEGREE IN AMERICAN HISTORY AND SECONDARY EDUCATION FROM THE COLLEGE OF STEUBENVILLE (1970) AND WENT ON TO EARN HIS MASTER’S DEGREE IN AFRO-AMERICAN STUDIES FROM BOSTON UNIVERSITY (1971).

 

THORNTON HAS TWO DAUGHTERS AND SIX GRANDCHILDREN AND RESIDES IN WARREN, OHIO.



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