March 24, 2014
THE FLATS – Senior Jonathan Gardner was named the Division I Men’s National Athlete of the Week, announced by the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) Monday.
The Chicago, Ill., native, who did not compete during the indoor season after recovering from knee surgery in the fall, returned to the sand pit this past weekend and won his signature event – the triple jump.
Gardner took first in his first competition since May 2013 at the NCAA Outdoor Championships with a leap of 15.87m (52-0.75) at the Alabama Relays at Sam Bailey Stadium in Tuscaloosa, Ala.
The mark leads the nation and Gardner won the event by nearly a foot-and-a-half and as second-place finisher Jamarion Calhoun recorded a 15.15m (49-08.50) mark.
He sits atop the all-college descending order list by two-and-a-half inches as the only man better than 52 feet so far this season.
Gardner and the Yellow Jackets are back in action when they host the Yellow Jacket Invitational March 28-29 at Griffin Track.
