Speaking Topics - Speaking Credits - Mountaineering - Running
Coaching Cross Country
Going the Distance
Coach Gardiner and the girls' varsity team go over the results of the 2004 City Meet at Riverfront Park.
"Stadiums are for spectators. We runners have nature and that is much better." Juha Vaatainen, Finland
From 1995-1997, Steve Gardiner was the assistant coach of the Senior High Cross Country team, working under the direction of four-time Olympic Trials marathoner Karen Sanford-Gall. When Karen retired from coaching, Gardiner took over and has coached the team since.
His teams have produced 31 All-State runners and over 120 Academic All-State awards. The teams have won twelve city championships with the boys' team taking three titles and the girls' team winning nine championships. In 2003, the boys team placed third at State and the girls took second in 2004. The 2005 girls team won the first state championship in school history and finished the season ranked fifth in the Northwest Division for Nike Team Nationals. That same year, Gardiner was selected as Montana AA Girls Cross Country Coach of the Year by the Montana Coaches Association. The following year, the girls repeated as state champions and ended the season ranked second in Nike Northwest, earning themselves an automatic bid to run in the Nike Team Nationals meet in Portland, Oregon, under the name Billings XC Club. They were ranked 16th in the nation by Harrier Magazine's Super 25 poll and finished 14th in the nation at the Nike race. Gardiner was selected as the Montana Coach of the Year again in 2006.
Visit the Bronc Cross Country web site which provides team and individual results, photos, videos, and links to related running sites.
Coach Gardiner also runs in master's track meets and road races and finished both the Boston Marathon and New York City Marathon.