Neil Gardner

Neil Anthony Gardner (born 8 December 1974) 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.

Neil Gardner
Neil Gardner winning the 1996 NCAA Championships - 400M Hurdles
Personal information
NationalityJamaican
Born (1974-12-08) 8 December 1974
Kingston, Jamaica
Height5 ft 10 in (1.78 m)
Weight155 lb (70 kg)
Sport
SportRunning
Event(s)Sprinting (400 meter hurdles)
Medal record
Representing  Jamaica
Men's Athletics
NCAA Championship
Gold medal – first place 1996 NCAA Outdoor Championship 400m hurdles
Gold medal – first place 1997 NCAA Indoor Championship 55m hurdles
CARIFTA Games(Under 20)
Gold medal – first place 1993 Fort-de-France 110m hurdles
Silver medal – second place 1993 Fort-de-France High Jump
Silver medal – second place 1993 Fort-de-France Triple Jump
Silver medal – second place 1992 Nassau 110m hurdles
Bronze medal – third place 1992 Nassau High Jump
Bronze medal – third place 1991 Port of Spain 110m hurdles
Bronze medal – third place 1991 Port of Spain Triple Jump
CARIFTA Games(Under 17)
Bronze medal – third place 1990 Kingston High Jump
Bronze medal – third place 1989 Bridgetown High Jump
Pan American Junior Championships
Bronze medal – third place 1993 Winnipeg, Canada 110m hurdles

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 IAAF World Championships in Athletics 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]

YearEventResults
1988High Jump2nd
1989High Jump1st
1990High Jump2nd
1991High Jump1st(record)
1991Long Jump1st(record)
1991110m Hurdles1st(record)
19914 × 100 m relay1st
1992High Jump2nd
1992110m Hurdles1st
1992Heptathlon1st
1993High Jump2nd
1993Long Jump2nd
1993110m Hurdles2nd
1993Triple Jump1st
19934 × 100 m relay2nd

CARIFTA Games results
YearVenueEventResultsTime/Measurement
1989BarbadosHigh Jump3rd
1990JamaicaHigh Jump3rd
1991TrinidadTriple Jump3rd14.97
1991Trinidad110m hurdles3rd14.73
1992BahamasHigh Jump3rd2.05
1992Bahamas110m hurdles2nd15.04
1993MartiniqueHigh Jump2nd2.05
1993MartiniqueTriple Jump2nd15.62
1993Martinique110m hurdles1st15.04

Pan American Junior Championships results
YearVenueEventResultTime
1993Winnipeg, Canada110m hurdles3rd14.30

NCAA Championships
YearVenueEventResultTime
1996Eugene, Oregon400m hurdles1st49.27
1997Indianapolis, Indiana55m hurdles1st7.18

26th Olympic Games
YearCityEventPhaseUnitRankTime
1996Atlanta400m hurdlesSemi-finalsHeat 25th48.30
1996Atlanta400m hurdlesRound OneHeat 74th48.59

8th IAAF World Championships
YearCityEventPhaseUnitRankTime
2001Edmonton400m hurdlesSemi-finalsHeat 26th49.57
2001Edmonton400m hurdlesRound OneHeat 41st49.29

Other Major Competitions
YearVenueEventResults
1997Stockholm400m hurdles49.74
1998Thessaloniki400m hurdles48.92
1999Nassau400m hurdles50.68
2000Nassau400m hurdles49.50
2001Kingston400m hurdles48.71
2001Monaco - Herculis400m hurdles3rd
2003Luzern400m hurdles49.07
2003Golden Spike400m hurdles5th
2003Meeting de Madrid400m hurdles5th
2003Portugal400m hurdles1st
2004Oregon400m hurdles49.80

References
  1. IAAF Biography
  2. University of Michigan Athletics
  3. "NCAA Indoor Championships Results". Archived from the original on 28 October 2012. Retrieved 19 August 2010.
  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". Archived from the original on 6 August 2010. Retrieved 20 August 2010.
  8. Inter-Secondary School Sports Association Award
  9. Courtney Walsh Award for Excellence.
  10. ISSA National Boy's Championships Results
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