Gardner enters her fourth season as the Gallaudet Universitytrack and field head coach. Under her tutelage, the men’s andwomen’s teams have broken nine school records. Before beingelevated to the head coach position in October of 2010, she servedas an assistant coach with the cross country program in 2009 andwas an assistant coach with the track and field program during the2010 season.
Last season, five school records were broken under the guidanceof Gardner. Records were set in 110-meter hurdles, triple jump,long jump, 4x400 meter relay and 3,000 meter run by the men's team.She coached senior Darius Flowers to a second All-American title inthe triple jump as he placed 7th at the NCAA Division III outdoorchampionships.
During the 2012 season Gardner saw her teams dramaticallyimprove across the board. The men’s 4x400 relay team broke a20-year-old school record at the Mason-Dixon outdoorchampionships.
Jessica Israel won the shot put event and set a new schoolrecord in the process (12.22m). Shortly after, sprinter/jumperDarius Flowers placed second in triple jump at the Eastern CollegeAthletic Conference (ECAC) Division III championships. Themen’s team finished 37th overall out of a pool of 63 teams.Gardner sent two athletes, Leslye Kang and Darius Flowers, tocompete at the NCAA Division III outdoor championships. Kangfinished 13th in the javelin throw and Flowers finished ninth inthe triple jump event.
In her first season as head coach with Gallaudet she helpedFlowers finish sixth overall at the 2011 NCAA Division III outdoorchampionships in the triple jump where he earned All-Americanhonors. Leslye Kang and Jessica Israel received all-conferencehonors at the Mason-Dixon outdoor conference championships.
Gardner is a graduate of Gallaudet ('10) where she earned herbachelor’s in American Sign Language. She completed hermaster’s degree in Sign Language Teaching at Gallaudet in thesummer of 2012.
Prior to attending Gallaudet as a student and assistant coachshe was a professional fire fighter for five years with HowardCounty Fire and Rescue – Banneker Station (Station 7). As afirefighter she conducted Fire Safety Programs at the Columbiacampus of the Maryland School for the Deaf. Gardner also worked asa model for Under Armour for five years.
The Tucson, Ariz., native attended Tucson High Magnet Schoolwhere she used to tutor and offer academic support at the Tucsoncampus of the Arizona School for the Deaf and Blind. This is whereGardner began to learn ASL. Gardner was also a standout crosscountry and track and field athlete all four years of highschool.
Gardner currently resides in Washington, D.C.
WHY GALLAUDET? “I am very passionateabout the sport [track and field] and the student-athletes here atGallaudet. There are a lot of very talented student-athletes hereand I hope to get many of them involved with track and field."
Coach Gardner's record at Gallaudet
| Year | | Conference | | Highlights |
| 2011 | | 7th place- Mason-Dixon Outdoor Championships 2nd place (Flowers)- ECAC Outdoor Championships | | Flowers placed second at the ECAC OutdoorChampionships, Flowers named All-American for triple jump at NCAADivision III Outdooor Championships |
| 2012 | | 8th place- Mason-Dixon Outdoor Championships 37th place- ECAC Outdoor Championships | | 4x400 relay team breaks 20-year oldrecord, Flowers finishes ninth at NCAA Division III OutdoorChampionships
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| 2013 | | 6th place- Mason-Dixon Outdoor Championships 23rd place- ECAC Outdoor Championships | | Records were set in 110-meter hurdles,triple jump, long jump, 4x400 meter relay and 3,000 meter run bythe men's team, senior Darius Flowers earns second All-Americantitle in the triple jump as he placed 7th at the NCAA Division IIIoutdoor championships |
| Totals | | | | 3 seasons |
GARDNER THE NEWS
10/07/10 Mikaela Gardner set to run the Gallaudet track andfield program
