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 isa 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 springs 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 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 th AMC Championship in 2008 and were runners-up in2006 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 coaching 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 tutelage, 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 29national 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 1500mrace/walk at the 2011 Senior Olympics Nationals. Thornton is most proud of coaching a Steubenville resident to gold medals in the100m 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 levelI 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.
