Milwaukee School of Engineering Men's Cross Country

Gardner is in his ninth season leading the MSOE track & field and cross country coach, bringing a wealth of experience and success to the Raiders. Gardner has been around the track & field circuit for 49 years, working with middle school athletes to the collegiate level. Since taking the reigns of the Raiders' programs in 2004, he has led the programs to 10 conference championships and seven team runner-up finishes heading into the 2014 outdoor season. Gardner has been coaching since 1965 and for the past 43 years in the state of Wisconsin. He previously spent two seasons with the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee and two with Carroll University, coaching both track & field and soccer teams. He is a graduate of Northwest Missouri State University with a degree in education. He retired from teaching in the Milwaukee Public Schools system in 1998, but returned to coaching individuals and in the team setting after just three months. In addition to his duties with the track & field and cross country teams, Gardner is also MSOE's strength and conditioning coach. He is certified with the National Strength and Coacditioning Association and a level 2 coach in all events in track & field. Away from MSOE, he finds time to travel extensively, particularly to South America. He has been to Argentina, Ecuador and Columbia working with soccer coaches and athletes. In 2014, he will be traveling to Peru to inform coaches and players of the research that has been done on injury prevention programs. In 2002, Gardner published a book, Soccer Referee Strength and Conditioning.