D.J. Thornton 2013-14 Track and Field Roster

AS A SENIOR:Competed in two meets during the cross country season … placed 37th out of 91 runners in the National Catholic Championship 5m (26:35.1) … competed in the Notre Dame Invitational 5m … competed in five indoor meets during the indoor track & field season … began the season with a bang, placing fifth of 13 runners in the Notre Dame Invitational one mile run (4:09.63) … capped the indoor season with a 13th place finish among 28 runners in the ACC Indoor Championships preliminary one mile run (4:12.60) … competed twice during the outdoor season, beginning with a 12th place finish among 36 runners in the Victor Lopez Invitational 1,500m run … followed up that performance by finishing 15th of 17 runners in the Border Battle 1,500m run (4:05.54).

AS A JUNIOR: Ran in all seven meets for the Irish, including at the BIG EAST, NCAA Great Lakes Regional and NCAA Championship meets … finished 42ndout of 114 runners at the 8K BIG EAST Championship (25:50.41) … took 73rdout of 201 runners at the 10K NCAA Great Lakes Regional (32:47) … opened year with a fifth place finish out of 36 runners at the 6K Crusader Invitational (19:32.6) … took 17thout of 276 runners at the five mile National Catholic Championship (25:14.4) … finished 16thout of 127 runners in the five mile gold race at the Notre Dame Invitational (25:06) … closed out regular season by running in the 8K open race at the Wisconsin Invitational … earned a cross country monogram … participated in 11 meets for the Irish … competed in the 3,000m steeplechase, mile, 1,500m, 1,000m and 800m runs … was a member of the 4×1,600m relay team that placed first (16:42.89) at the Drake Relays … placed fourth in the 3,000m steeplechase and ran a personal best (9:20.88) at the Louisville Border Battle … finished third in the 3,000 steeplechase (9:30.73) at the Michigan State Spartan Invitational … finished second in the mile (4:14.13) at the Notre Dame Invitational … placed third and ran a personal best (4:09.58) at the BIG EAST Indoor Championships … earned a track & field monogram.

AS A SOPHOMORE: Ran in the first six meets of the year for the Irish, turning in a pair of top-10 finishes … opened the year with a fifth place showing out of 53 runners at the 5K Crusader Invitational (15:58.7) … followed up performance by crossing finish line seventh out of 255 runners at the 8K National Catholic Championships (24:52) … competed for Notre Dame at the 8K BIG EAST Championships, crossing the line 46thout of 123 runners (24:51.7) … also ran for the Irish at the 8K Notre Dame and Wisconsin Invitationals and the 10K NCAA Great Lakes Regional … won a cross country monogram … competed in ten indoor/outdoor track & field events … ran to a first-place finish in the 1,000m run (2:26.58) at the Notre Dame Blue & Gold Invitational … captured a second-place finish in the 1,500m run (3:59.52) at the Purdue Mike Poehlein Invitational … helped the distance medley relay to a fifth-place finish (10:00.58) at the BIG EAST Indoor Championships … earned a track & field monogram.

AS A FRESHMAN: Competed with both the cross country and track teams in first season … finished 20th in the ‘Gold’ division at the Notre Dame Invitational with a time of 25:39 … ran the 1,000m and 1,500m with the track squad … posted best 1,000m time of the season at the Blue & Gold Invitational with a time of 2:34.60, good for ninth overall … also ran the final leg of the seventh place 4x400m relay team at that event, crossing in 3:27.64 … finished first in heat and 13th overall in the 1,500m at the Gina Relays, posting quickest time of the season in that event in 4:03.31 … also ran in that event at the Purdue Mike Poehlein Invitational (4:05.89) and the Dave Rankin Invitational (4:08.45), finishing 16th and eighth, respectively.

HIGH SCHOOL AND PERSONAL: Three-time letterwinner in track & field at Union Catholic (N.J.) … four-time letter winner in cross country … three-time conference champion in cross country and track & field … state champion in track & field during junior and senior campaigns … cross country and track & field team captain during junior and senior seasons … nationally ranked as a senior in track & field … five-time MVP honoree between cross country and track & field … Union County all-conference and all-city selection in both sports sophomore, junior and senior seasons … all-state recipient in both sports as a junior and in track & field as a senior … held school records at time of graduation in the 1,600m (4:09), 3,200m (9:19), 800m (1:51) and 4x800m relay (7:42) … son of David and Elizabeth Thornton … born in Rahway, N.J. … youngest of five children … enrolled in the Mendoza College of Business and is majoring in marketing.