Dion Gardner, Class of 1999, has been elected to the Northeastern Hall of Fame for her excellence in the sport of track & field.
Gardner made a splash while competing for Troy High School in New York when she set the freshman national record in the long jump. Coach Sherman Hart later convinced the All-City and All-State honoree to come to Boston and join the women's track & field dynasty on Huntington Avenue.
As a freshman, Gardner made an immediate impact as she won the long jump at the America East Indoor Championship and also placed highly in the sprints and triple jump at the America East level as the Huskies won both the indoor and outdoor conference championships. Northeastern won four-straight America East indoor titles with Gardner on the team and won three-of-four outdoor championships. In her four years, Gardner won an amazing 13 individual conference titles in addition to running on NU's relays, and scored the most points in America East history.
Gardner won her first of four-straight long jump titles at the New England Championship during the indoor season of her freshman year, becoming just the fourth athlete in New England Championship history to accomplish the feat. She also won the New England indoor triple jump title in 1996, won outdoor long jump titles in 1996 and '97 and won the triple jump title in '97. Gardner led the Huskies to two indoor and one outdoor New England title in her four years. It was during the outdoor season of her sophomore year that Gardner vaulted herself to elite status. Gardner began her assault on the Northeastern record book in a meet at Holy Cross, when she leapt 20'2.75. She led the Huskies to the America East Outdoor Championship on their home track in Dedham when she won the long jump, triple jump, took second both the 100 and 200 and ran on the winning 4x100. Her 46 points earned Gardner the meet's Most Outstanding Performer honors.
During the outdoor season of her senior year, Gardner won America East Most Outstanding Performer honors once again. She won the long jump, triple jump, 100 and ran on the Huskies' winning relays, leading Northeastern to the title. She still holds the Northeastern records in the long jump both indoors (19'9.75) and outdoors (20'4.5).
