Bio

Dan Tomlin has been the head coach for the St. Ambrose University men's and women's track & field teams since 2007-08.

In 2016-17, the Fighting Bee men brought home their first trophy in school history, placing fourth at the NAIA Indoor Track & Field Championships. The Bees followed that up with top-10 finishes at the 2017 outdoor and 2018 indoor national championships.

Tomlin’s teams have won the NAIA Champions of Character Team award three times (men in 2013 and 2017, women in 2015). After the 2016-17 season, Tomlin was named the Chicagoland Collegiate Athletic Conference (CCAC) Coach of Character.

Tomlin has coached three individuals to national championships: Anthony Peters (2016 indoor and outdoor, 2017 indoor and outdoor, 2018 indoor and outdoor) was a six-time NAIA National Champion in the race walk, while Jenny Lopez (2016 indoor) also won an NAIA National Championship in the race walk. Josh Mathis won a national championship in the discus throw at the 2021 NAIA Outdoor Championships.

Peters, Lopez and Michael Ohioze competed at the Olympic Trials in 2016. Peters and Lopez competed at the U.S. Olympic Trials in the 20k race walk, both finishing 8th. Peters again competed at the U.S. Olympic Trials in 2021, finishing 15th in the event. Ohioze raced the 400m dash at the British Championships/Olympic Trials in 2016. Ohioze ran for his home country of Great Britain in the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, competing in the 4x400 relay. He was the first-ever St. Ambrose track & field athlete to compete at the Olympic Games.

Ohioze is the most decorated athlete in school history, garnering a total of 10 All-American awards, while Molly Jo Smith and Jenny Lopez are the most decorated women, with seven All-American awards each. Smith is also one of just three Fighting Bees to earn CoSIDA NAIA Academic All-America first-team honors.

John Darmody was also named a first-team Academic All-American after a career that saw him rack up seven All-American awards. Ashley Plumb won the award as a junior in 2018 following an All-American season on the track.

Tomlin was named the CCAC Women's Indoor Track & Field Coach of the Year and the USTFCCCA Midwest Region Women’s Coach of the Year in 2018. While a member of the Midwest Collegiate Conference, Tomlin was a 14-time track & field coach of the year, leading his teams to 14 MCC Championships.

Tomlin is a leader within the NAIA coaching body, having served as the chair of the Indoor Games Committee and currently serving as the 2nd vice president of the Executive Committee of the NAIA Track & Field Coaches Association.

Tomlin is a graduate of St. Ambrose University (2005 BS, 2010 MBA), where he was a four-time letter winner for the Fighting Bees track & field team and a two-time letter winner for the cross country team.

NAIA National Champions

Josh Mathis - 2021, Outdoor Discus
Anthony Peters - 2016, 2017, 2018, Indoor 3000m Race Walk
Anthony Peters - 2016, 2017, 2018, Outdoor 5000m Race Walk
Jenny Lopez – 2016, Indoor 3000m Race Walk

NAIA National Championship Top-Team Finishes

Men – 4th place, 2017 Indoor; 9th place, 2017 Outdoor; 10th place, 2018 Indoor
Women – 16th place, 2018 Indoor; 18th place, 2016 Indoor; 20th place, 2016 Outdoor

NAIA All Americans

Men – 60
Women – 42 

Chicagoland Collegiate Athletic Conference Championships

Women - 2018 Indoor

Midwest Collegiate Conference Championships

Men’s Indoor - 2008, 2010, 2013, 2015
Men’s Outdoor - 2008, 2010, 2015
Women’s Indoor - 2013, 2014, 2015
Women’s Outdoor - 2010, 2013, 2014, 2015