0.03 seconds from a state championship. 0.19 seconds from a New Balance National title. For junior hurdler Shane Gardner, confidence was low when he started his career at Penn in 2022.
Once on campus, he proceeded to qualify for the 2023 NCAA Division I Championships, set and reset program records, and, most importantly, find trust in himself once again. Last year, he took home his first individual title at the 2024 Heptagonal Championships — a small glimpse of what was to come.
Now, in his collegiate career, the hurdler is in the midst of a record-breaking season, setting a program record of 7.80 seconds in the 60m hurdles at the Tiger Paw Invitational in mid-February.
But he isn’t satisfied yet.
His sights are set on breaking the Ivy League record at the 2025 Heptagonal Championships next weekend, Mar. 1 and 2.
“I come into each season with a goal,” Gardner explained. “Freshman year, it was just to break the school record [and I] was able to do that. Sophomore year, I wanted to become Ivy League champion. Did that. Junior year, the goal is to break the Ivy League record. And I think I’m about to do that.”
Unlike many other sports, track and field has two seasons: winter indoor and spring outdoor. Many athletes — including Gardner — compete in both. To be successful, athletes have to maintain a focused mindset and willingness to consistently improve.
“Shane is probably one of the hardest working people that I’ve been around since I’ve been at Penn,” hurdles coach Chené Townsend said. “He’s very focused on what’s right in front of him. His ability to do that and his mindset is what allows him to actually achieve all of his goals.”
The upcoming championships this week is a chance for the hurdler to cement himself in Ivy League history. The current league record for the 60m hurdles is 7.77 seconds — just .03 seconds faster than the Penn record Gardner set earlier this month and the same difference that he took off of personal best to reset the record.
Reflecting on previous championships as he heads into another, Gardner prefers to hold onto the ire rather than the triumph.
“I told myself when I lost the outdoor Ivy League championship that I’m never going to feel that way again,” he said. “That was the most rage and disappointment I’ve ever felt after a race … and that’s what I’m going to be thinking about — not whether I won last time, or who’s watching; just that I have a promise to keep.”
Gardner consistently finds motivation where others would feel pressure, finding his opponents’ achievements at high-stakes competitions to be “motivating.”
“I belong,” he said. “Anything is possible, as long as I execute.”
A track athlete since eight, Gardner has seen remarkably different levels of competition throughout his life. Growing up in Sugar Land and competing at the 6A level (the largest conference for high-school athletes in Texas) brought him to a training group consisting of some of the highest-achieving and “cutthroat” national track athletes — a stark contrast to what the environment Gardner found at Penn.
“But then I came to Penn and had to adapt a little bit to not everybody being that aggressive. … I started to realize how much everybody else prioritized the relationship with the team. That helped me grow as a person, seeing that track isn’t all about just winning all the time. Even though I still think that’s like 90%.”
“I would say his biggest growth is his ability, so far, to not let the big moments get bigger than him,” Townsend said. “A lot of growth from a technical standpoint, but also a lot of growth as a young man.”
Being a reliable winner comes with responsibility — and Gardner does not shy away from being a leader.
He explained that his philosophy is that “talk is cheap," and he prefers to lead by example. His dedication to his craft and his team shines a guiding light onto his peers.
“I think the biggest role that Shane plays on this team is, honestly, his arrogant confidence,” Townsend commented with a smile. “It’s not a bad thing. Even when I was recruiting him, one of the things that I loved about him was just how he believed in himself, and that was something that was really lacking in the group at the time.”
Gardner’s self-assuredness shines through as he attempts to add yet another accolade to his name and secure himself a new place in the record book, telling everyone to “stay tuned.”
“I’m gonna win,” he confidently maintained. “Break all the records.”
And based on his (track) record, the Ivy League should be inclined to believe him.
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