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A native of North Attleboro, MA, Gary Gardner enters his eighth year with the UMass Lowell cross country and track and field programs after a vastly successful seven seasons which saw him guide 86 athletes to All-American honors and one to a national championship. Previously, Gardner served as the head coach at the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy (USMMA) and as an assistant at Trinity (CT) College following a stellar career at Keene State. Over his seven seasons, Gardner has earned coach of the year honors from numerous affiliations such as the NCAA, U.S. Track and Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) as well as the Northeast-10 Conference on many occasions. In 2008-09, he was named the NE-10 Coach of the Year in men's cross country as well as women's indoor and outdoor track and field; and the USTFCCCA Women's Coach of the Year. Gardner has led the men's cross country team to five NCAA Northeast Region championships in the last seven years and simultaneously guided the River Hawk women to the NCAA Northeast Region title in 2005 and 2008. At the 2008 NCAA championship, the UML men and women each finished 13th and 22nd, respectively. In Gardner's seven seasons with the cross country teams, the River Hawk men have finished sixth, 10th, 13th, 17th, 16th and 13th twice while the women have placed 22nd three times, 17th, 20th and 21st. UML's success in cross country has always carried into the track and field seasons. That trend held firm in 2008-09 as three individuals and four men's and women's relay teams earned All-American honors in the indoor and outdoor seasons. In the spring of 2007, the program crowned its second women's NCAA champion in school history in Nicole Plante, who captured the outdoor 10,000 meters in 35:23.49. Additionally, 80 UML athletes have qualified for the NCAA indoor and outdoor track and field championships over the last four years. Highlighting those years were the spectacular efforts of the 2006 outdoor women, all five of whom earned All-American honors; as well as the 2007 men, led by All-American 400-meter sprinters Doug Caves and Andrew Grange, who were also part of UML's All-American 4X400 relay team. A 1994 graduate of Keene State, Gardner was a five-time All-New England standout in the indoor and outdoor seasons. Gardner and his wife, Caitlin, live in Auburn, MA, with their sons Kiernan (4) and Cavan (1). |
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