GGardnerbio

PR's

High School

10:18, 4:48, 2:12

College

8:27 (3K), 14:37 (5K), 30:31 (10K), 24:31 (8Kxc)

Post College

8:24 (3K), 14:23 (5K), 29:47 (10K)

A native of North Attleboro, MA, Gary Gardner enters his first year with the UMass Lowell cross country and track and field programs after serving as the head coach at the United States Merchant Marine Academy and as an assistantat Trinity (CT) College.Gardner replaces George Davis, who retired from the University after 33years, but will remain an assistant coach of the cross country and track and field teams for the 2002-03 academic year.

“From being a former rival (at Keene State), I am familiar with the cross country and track and field teams and their reputation at UMass Lowell,”Gardner said. “I think the men’s cross country team could be among the top seven or eight teams in the country this season. For the women’s team, Ithink getting them to the NCAA championship is a realistic goal.“The track and field teams are both capable of finishing in the top 10 at the NCAAs,” Gardner added. “I hope to do that within the next few years.”Gardner inherits a men’s cross country team that returns all of its runners – including senior All-American Carl Mease – from its second straight NCAA New England championship and a 10th-place finish at the NCAAchampionship. The men’s track and field team returns 32 athletes, includingfour All-New England standouts and two All-American sprinters, while thewomen’s squad returns 13 athletes and one All-New England selection.While at the USMMA, Gardner led the 2001 women’s team cross country team toits first Skyline Conference title in the Academy’s history and guided themen’s program to Conference titles in 1999 and 2000. Three runners earnedNCAA qualification in as many years.Gardner also led the 2001 men’s track and field team to its first Skylinechampionship since 1967. Between the cross country and track and fieldprograms, he has had at least one NCAA qualifier in eight of the nine crosscountry/track and field seasons opposed to two qualifiers over the previousdecade.Aside from the USMMA’s success in competition, Gardner has elevated thewomen’s cross country program from one runner in 1999 to nine in 2002. Inaddition, he has helped the men’s track and field program grow from 13 student-athletes to an astounding 55. He also served as the NCAA AtlanticRegion representative for the United States Track Coaches Association(USTCA) Executive Board.Gardner’s teams were also standouts in the classroom as the USMMA men’s cross country team earned the NCAA Division III Team Academic Award in 2000and 2001.In three seasons at Trinity (1996-99), Gardner helped the women’s cross country team maintain a national ranking all three years and also helpedguide the Bantams to their first-ever New England Division III championshipin 1998. Gardner also helped the 1997 Trinity men’s program to itsfirst-ever NCAA New England ranking.In 1997, seven men’s and women’s athletes earned All-America status, up fromtwo in the previous 25 years. In 1998, standout Yolanda Flamino was namedthe NCAA Division III Regional Track & Field Athlete of the Year by theUSTCA.In addition to guiding Trinity to many honors, Gardner helped double thesize of the men’s and women’s track and field teams and founded the College’s first Invitational meet which has grown to more than 25 teams.A 1994 graduate of Keene State, Gardner was an NCAA qualifier in crosscountry and track and field. He was also named the New England Division IIIRunner of the Year in 1993 and a five-time All-New England standout betweenthe indoor and outdoor seasons. In 1996 Gardner was named to the U.S.National team for the IAAF World Road Relay Championships in Copenhagen,Denmark.Gardner resides in Lowell, MA.