(Tucson, AZ) Pima Community College men’s track & field and cross country athletes Joel Gardner (Ironwood Ridge HS) and Nathan Plant committed to NCAA Division I programs and will join their new schools in the fall.
Joel Gardner
Gardner, a distance runner, signed to the University of Alabama. The Crimson Tide compete in the Southeastern Conference.
Gardner is a three-time NJCAA All-American in the 5,000 meter race (twice at Indoor Nationals, once at Outdoor Nationals). He broke the Pima Indoor school record in the event three times during his career.
He set a new Pima Outdoor school record in the 5,000 meters last month at the Triton Invitational with a time of 14:12.84 and was named NJCAA Division I Athlete of the Week for his efforts.
He earned All-Region honors for the 10,000 meters with a second place finish and All-ACCAC Conference recognition in the 1,500 meters.
Gardner helped the Men’s Cross Country team earn their first NJCAA Region I Team Championship since 1981 and was named All-Region for his fourth place finish in 2021.
He was selected ACCAC Runner of the Week in October 2022 after he took 18th out of 54 competitors, mostly consisting of NCAA Division I runners at the Dave Murray Invitational and posted a personal-best time of 25:08.2 in the 8K race.
Nathan Plant
Plant, a sprinter and distance runner from Grant High School in Portland, Oregon, committed to the University of Northern Colorado, an NCAA Division I school in Greeley, CO. The Bears compete in the Big Sky Conference.
Plant is a two-time NJCAA All-Region athlete in the 4×400 relay. Along with Orion Barger (Canyon del Oro HS) and Tristan Spalding (Palo Verde HS) for the last two seasons, they secured second place finishes at the NJCAA Region I Championships. Their finish this season sealed the Region I Team Championship for the Aztecs earlier this month. Gamar Garem ran with the trio in 2022 and freshman Broden Cahoon in 2023. They ran a season-best 3:14.71 at the NJCAA Division I National Championships and are listed No. 3 in Pima school history for the 4×400.
Plant earned two team points for the Aztecs at the Region I Championships after he took seventh place in the 800 meter race.
Plant was named All-Region for his Top 14 finish in the Men’s Cross Country Region I Championships as he, along with Gardner, helped the Aztecs earn a NJCAA Region I Runner-up finish.
Press Release courtesy of Pima Aztec Athletics – Raymond Suarez
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