LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) — It's been about 12 days since it happened, but it is still sinking in for UofL senior Synclair Savage that she's a national champion. 

Savage captured the NCAA Long Jump title in Eugene, Oregon. She jumped  6.72 meters or over 22 feet on her sixth and final attempt. That broke the school mark she had set at the East Regional and made her the fifth outdoor NCAA champion in program history. 

"Top five was my goal coming into the meet," said Savage. "But if you had asked freshman-year me or sophomore-year me I probably would have laughed in your face really, really hard. So just to see this moment come to light and accomplish this, it's just amazing to this day for me."

Savage's jumps coach, Bob Thurnhoffer, had seen at least something close to this coming, based on the steady progress she was making through the spring, capped by a program-record jump of 6.64 meters or just under 22 feet at the NCAA East Regionals two weeks prior to nationals. 

"It's the most consistent I've seen an athlete be over a three-month period of time in my twenty years of coaching," said Thurnhoffer. "I started to see some of the measurables that we target in training all the time start to skyrocket in a way I hadn't seen before. I felt very confident that she could be top three or four."

When Savage took the lead with her final jump, there were still four competitors to go. When her mark stood up, Thurnhoffer was stunned and thrilled.

"I just remember standing up and being like 'Synclair, you won the NCAA title'. I was just like in shock almost. It was a really special moment."

"After I jumped, I don't know if coach Bob noticed because he was crying, but I literally was like somebody needs to pinch me right now, and I kept walking away, and I felt like I was in a dream," Savage said. "To this day, I go to my camera roll and look for something but then all the nationals pictures will be there, and I just relive the moments, relive the videos."

Head track and field coach Joe Franklin said Savage is a wonderful example of the type of student-athlete he loves to coach. 

"She epitomizes everything that we as educators and coaches would like," Franklin said. "Self-motivation, confidence, communication, drive in the classroom, drive for post-graduate work which is down the road for her at some point. Her doing what she did is a small part of who she is but who she is is what brings our program up."

Savage is a 3.8 student who is not sure what the future holds. She hadn't really thought much about jumping as a professional, but said this title has opened some doors, and she's got some decisions to make. 

Top Sports Stories:

BOZICH | Biggest Louisville NBA Draft hits — and misses

From Louisville to Germany: U of L swim coach, athletes to represent Team USA on world stage

CRAWFORD | Jurich’s first return to U of L since 2017 will bring emotion — and a new street name

Copyright 2025 WDRB Media. All Rights Reserved.                 Â