University of Massachusetts, Dartmouth Men's Cross Country

Hird has been part of the coaching staff at UMass Dartmouth for 25 seasons. He serves as the men's and women's cross country coach during the fall, and as an assistant coach for the indoor track and field team during the winter and for outdoor track and fieldteam in the spring. After nine successful years as the head women's cross country and track and field coach at Brown University, where he initiated both programs, Jon Hird came to UMass Dartmouth in 1988. Hird took over the reins of the men's and women's cross country and track teams from long-time head coach Bob Dowd While at Brown, Hird's teams produced 32 Ivy League champions and set 14 Ivy League records. His 1978 team won an Ivy League title and his 1979 squad won the New England championships. In 1984, Hird had two relay teams ranked nationally. Six of his student-athletes and one of his relay teams qualified for the NCAA Division I Championships. At UMass Dartmouth, Hird has continued his success. Overseeing both the men's and women's cross country and track tand field eams, his student-athletes and teams have advanced to the NCAA Division III Championships on numerous occasions. Under Hird's guidance, the men's cross country team has finished second in New England twice, and has won the Little East Conference championship ten times. The women's cross countryteam has won five Little East Conference championships, and the women's track and field teams have finished fourth twice in New England Division III competition. Overall, the programs have produced 10 All-Americans and 18 NCAA qualifiers. He was named Little East Conference Men's Cross Country Coach of the Year after the 2008 season. Hird is a 1973 honors graduate of Middlebury College (Vermont) where heserved as captain ofthe cross country team. He holds a master's degree in education from Brown University. Call the coach: Email the coach: Mailing address: Men's Cross Country Office c/o Tripp Center 285 Old Wesport Road Dartmouth, MA Entering the 2011-12 season, Jon Hird has been part of the coaching staff at UMass Dartmouth for 25 seasons. He serves as the men's and women's cross country coach during the fall, and as an assistant coach for the indoor track and field team during the winter and for outdoor track and fieldteam in the spring. After nine successful years as the head women's cross country and track and field coach at Brown University, where he initiated both programs, Jon Hird came to UMass Dartmouth in 1988. Hird took over the reins of the men's and women's cross country and track teams from long-time head coach Bob Dowd While at Brown, Hird's teams produced 32 Ivy League champions and set 14 Ivy League records. His 1978 team won an Ivy League title and his 1979 squad won the New England championships. In 1984, Hird had two relay teams ranked nationally. Six of his student-athletes and one of his relay teams qualified for the NCAA Division I Championships. At UMass Dartmouth, Hird has continued his success. Overseeing both the men's and women's cross country and track tand field eams, his student-athletes and teams have advanced to the NCAA Division III Championships on numerous occasions. Under Hird's guidance, the men's cross country team has finished second in New England twice, and has won the Little East Conference championship ten times. The women's cross countryteam has won five Little East Conference championships, and the women's track and field teams have finished fourth twice in New England Division III competition. Overall, the programs have produced 10 All-Americans and 18 NCAA qualifiers. He was named Little East Conference Men's Cross Country Coach of the Year after the 2008 season. Hird is a 1973 honors graduate of Middlebury College (Vermont) where heserved as captain ofthe cross country team. He holds a master's degree in education from Brown University. Call the coach: Email the coach: Mailing address: Men's Cross Country Office c/o Tripp Center 285 Old Wesport Road Dartmouth, MA

Gardiner, who has coached track and field for the last 35 years, and succeeded Jon Hird as head track and field coach, will assist hird with the cross country program. A 1974 UMass Dartmouth graduate when the university was known as Southeastern Massachusetts University, Gardiner has served as head boys' cross country and track and field coach and as both an assistant and the head girls' coach at New Bedford High School since joining the Whalers in 1978. A member of the Massachusetts Track Coaches Association Hall of Fame (2000) and the UMass Dartmouth Athletic Hall of Fame (2003), Gardiner was named Massachusetts Coach of the Year by the Boston Globe in 1980, 1989 and 1993, was named to the Runner's World Coaching All-Star Team in 1984, and was the District 1 (New York, New Jersey and New England) Coach of the Year and a finalist for national honors in 1996. He has led his teams to five All-State outdoor track and field championships, six Class A team championships, a New England team championship and an Eastern Massachusetts Division I cross country title. Six of his relay teams have claimed state titles, and he has coached three high school All-Americans, nine New England champions, and numerous individual state and division champions. His teams also earned more awards for academic excellence than any other NBHS team. A distance runner and cross country participant while an undergraduate, Gardiner began his coaching career as an assistant at New Bedford HS for one season before taking the reins at Apponequet High School for the next two years. He joined the Whalers' staff for good in 1978. A member of the Massachusetts State Track Coaches' Association and USA Track and Field, Gardiner earned his Level II Certification at the Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs, CO in 1990. Contact Coach Gardiner: Mail: Track and Field Office c/o Tripp Athletic Center 285 Old Westport Road North Dartmouth, MA