Neil Gardner

Neil Gardner

Neil Gardner winning the 1996 NCAA Championships - 400M Hurdles
Personal information
Nationality Jamaican
Born (1974-12-08) 8 December 1974
Kingston, Jamaica
Height 5 ft 10 in (1.78 m)
Weight 155 lb (70 kg)
Sport
Sport Running
Event(s) Sprinting (400 meter hurdles)
Medal record
Representing  Jamaica
Men's Athletics
NCAA Championship
1996 NCAA Outdoor Championship 400m hurdles
1997 NCAA Indoor Championship 55m hurdles
CARIFTA Games(Under 20)
1993 Fort-de-France 110m hurdles
1993 Fort-de-France High Jump
1993 Fort-de-France Triple Jump
1992 Nassau 110m hurdles
1992 Nassau High Jump
1991 Port of Spain 110m hurdles
1991 Port of Spain Triple Jump
CARIFTA Games(Under 17)
1990 Kingston High Jump
1989 Bridgetown High Jump
Pan American Junior Championships
1993 Winnipeg, Canada 110m hurdles

Neil Anthony Gardner, born 8 December 1974 in Kingston, Jamaica to Lloyd Gardner and Viris Page-Gardner, is a former Jamaican athlete who specialized in the 400 meters hurdles event.[1] As a junior athlete (under 20 years of age) Gardner found much success at the Inter-Secondary School Sports Association National Boys’ Championships where he was awarded the Victor Ludorum (Champion Athlete) three years in a row, 1991–1993. Gardner also excelled in the CARIFTA Games, winning several medals between 1989 and 1993.

In 1993, Gardner was awarded a track and field scholarship to the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, Michigan to compete in the Jumps and Hurdles. While at Michigan, Gardner won three Big Ten titles and was runner-up on six occasions. In his junior year 1996, Gardner won the NCAA Outdoor Championship track and field 400 m hurdle championship title in a time of 49.27 seconds.[2] In 1997, Gardner went on to become the first person in the history of the NCAA to win the NCAA championship titles in both the 400 m hurdle event (outdoors) as well as the 55 m hurdle event (indoors), which he did in a time of 7.18 seconds.[3]

His personal best time of 48.30 in the 400 m hurdles at the Olympic game in 1996, ranked Gardner among the top 10 performers of all time for the NCAA as well as the Central American and Caribbean region. This time was also a varsity record for the University of Michigan. Gardner is ranked 6th among Jamaican 400 m hurdlers of all time.[4]

The Olympic Games and IAAF World Championships

Gardner represented Jamaica in the 1996 Olympic games in Atlanta, Georgia where he was a semi-finalist in the 400m hurdle event.[5] Gardner ran 48.59 seconds in the preliminaries and was the 6th fastest qualifier overall for the semifinals. Gardner ran 48.30 seconds in his semifinal heat, placing fifth in a four way photo finish, just missing the fourth place qualifying spot by 0.02 seconds. The second, third and fourth place finishers each was credited with the same time of 48.28 seconds. Gardner's time would have placed him third in the other semi-final and would have guaranteed him a spot in the final. Had Gardner competed in any other Olympic Game, in any other year, his time would have not only qualified him for the finals, but would have won on many occasions.

In 2001, Gardner was a semi-finalist in the 400 meters hurdles at the 8th IAAFWorld Championships in Edmonton, Canada again representing his native, Jamaica.[6]

Academic Years and Later Career

Gardner received a full athletic scholarship to attend the University of Michigan in 1993. Gardner graduated from Michigan with a 3.24 GPA in Biochemistry in December 1997. Gardner then returned to Jamaica in January 1998 where he competed professionally in track and field until 2005. Gardner was the first recipient of a scholarship through the World Olympians Association and the World Federation of Chiropractic, to study chiropractic at Parker College of Chiropractic. Gardner graduated from Parker College in August 2009 with a 4.0 GPA, Summa Cum Laude as the class valedictorian. He also received two Bachelor of Science degrees in Anatomy and Health & Wellness. Dr. Neil Gardner opened his chiropractic clinic, Gardner Chiropractic & Wellness Center, in December 2009 in Richardson, Texas. He recently moved back to Jamaica to open his clinic, Gardner Chiropractic & Neurology Ltd. in Kingston, Jamaica.

Honors and Awards

Gardner was inducted into the University of Michigan Men's Track & Field Hall of Fame in May 2007.[7] In March 2010, Gardner was named High School Athlete of the Decade for the 1990s, by the Inter-Secondary School Sport Association, Kingston, Jamaica.[8]

Dr. Neil Gardner is the 2011 recipient of the Courtney Walsh Award for Excellence.[9]

Accomplishments and Major Competition Results

ISSA National Boy’s Championships Results

[10]

Year Event Results
1988 High Jump2nd
1989 High Jump1st
1990 High Jump2nd
1991 High Jump1st(record)
1991 Long Jump1st(record)
1991 110m Hurdles1st(record)
1991 4 x 100m relay1st
1992 High Jump2nd
1992 110m Hurdles1st
1992 Heptathlon1st
1993 High Jump2nd
1993 Long Jump2nd
1993 110m Hurdles2nd
1993 Triple Jump1st
1993 4 x 100m relay2nd

CARIFTA Games Results

Year Venue Event Results Time/Measurement
1989 Barbados High Jump3rd
1990 Jamaica High Jump3rd
1991 Trinidad Triple Jump3rd 14.97
1991 Trinidad 110m hurdles3rd 14.73
1992 Bahamas High Jump3rd 2.05
1992 Bahamas 110m hurdles2nd 15.04
1993 Martinique High Jump2nd 2.05
1993 Martinique Triple Jump2nd 15.62
1993 Martinique 110m hurdles1st15.04

Pan American Junior Championships Results

Year Venue Event Result Time
1993 Winnipeg, Canada 110m hurdles3rd 14.30

NCAA Championships

Year Venue Event Result Time
1996 Eugene, Oregon 400m hurdles1st 49.27
1997 Indianapolis, Indiana 55m hurdles1st 7.18

26th Olympic Games

Year City Event Phase Unit Rank Time
1996 Atlanta 400m hurdles Semi-finals Heat 2 5th 48.30
1996 Atlanta 400m hurdles Round One Heat 7 4th 48.59

8th IAAF World Championships

Year City Event Phase Unit Rank Time
2001 Edmonton 400m hurdles Semi-finals Heat 2 6th 49.57
2001 Edmonton 400m hurdles Round One Heat 4 1st 49.29

Other Major Competitions

Year Venue Event Results
1997 Stockholm 400m hurdles 49.74
1998 Thessaloniki 400m hurdles 48.92
1999 Nassau 400m hurdles 50.68
2000 Nassau 400m hurdles 49.50
2001 Kingston 400m hurdles 48.71
2001 Monaco - Herculis 400m hurdles 3rd
2003 Luzern 400m hurdles 49.07
2003 Golden Spike 400m hurdles 5th
2003 Meeting de Madrid 400m hurdles 5th
2003 Portugal 400m hurdles 1st
2004 Oregon 400m hurdles 49.80

References

  1. ↑ IAAF Biography
  2. ↑ University of Michigan Athletics
  3. ↑ NCAA Indoor Championships Results
  4. ↑ Jamaican Athletics Ranking
  5. ↑ 26th Olympic Games
  6. ↑ Jamaican's 8th IAAF World Championships Team
  7. ↑ University of Michigan Men's Track & Field Hall of Fame
  8. ↑ Inter-Secondary School Sports Association Award
  9. ↑ Courtney Walsh Award for Excellence.
  10. ↑ ISSA National Boy's Championships Results
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