Truman State University Athletics

Legendary coach Kenneth Gardner led the Bulldogs to sweep both the indoor and outdoor Missouri Intercollegiate Athletics Association track and field championships and along with eight All-American's to a third place finish at the NCAA College Division Outdoor Track & Field Championships.
 
Tom Geredine and Larry Jones brought home individual national championships that year with Geredine winning the triple jump and Jones taking the 440-yard run. In addition, Geredine earned all-America honors in the long jump. The Mile relay team of Bob Gonzales, Jones, Rob Nelson and Wayne Ventiling earned all-American honors as well as Don Allbritton in the Pole Vault and Dennis Littrell in the High Jump.
 
Jones still holds the Truman indoor record in the 400-meter dash with a time of 47.44 set in 1974 while Albritton is the record holder still in the indoor and outdoor pole vault, clearing over 16 feet as well as the decathlon. Geredine owns the Stokes Stadium triple jump record of 15.32 (50-03.25) meters and the Bulldog indoor long jump record of 7.67 m (25-02.50).
 
Gardner was a Bulldog through and through as he captained the football team in 1946, coached track & field from 1952-1981 and served as the Director of Athletics from 1974 until his retirement in 1988. The track at Stokes Stadium was dedicated in his honor in 1996. Gardner led six teams to top 10 NCAA finishes with his 1972 team placing the highest of any squad. His teams won 34 MIAA Track & Field Championships, with 42 Bulldogs earning All-America honors.