A 1974 UMass Dartmouth graduate when the university was known as Southeastern Massachusetts University, Gardiner is a member of the Massachusetts Track Coaches Association Hall of Fame (2000) and the UMass Dartmouth Athletic Hall of Fame (2003). He 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 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.
Inducted: 2000