Neil Gardner

rdf:langString Neil Gardner

rdf:langString Neil Gardner

rdf:langString Neil Gardner

rdf:langString Neil Gardner winning the 1996 NCAA Championships - 400M Hurdles

rdf:langString Sprinting

rdf:langString Jamaican

rdf:langString Neil Anthony Gardner (born 8 December 1974) is a former Jamaican athlete who specialized in the 400 meters hurdles event. 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. 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 7.18seconds. 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.