Gardner, who was named the conference's winner for wrestling, has already completed a BA in Public Policy and is finishing his master's in Sociology. A three-time first-team Pac-10 All-Academic pick, a two-time NWCA Academic All-American and a 2007 first-team ESPN Academic All-American, Gardner boasts a 3.73 undergraduate GPA and a 4.00 graduate GPA.
Additionally, Gardner is active on campus and in the community, serving as both president and vice president of Cardinal Council, mentoring high school students through Menlo Park Presbyterian and Partners for Academic Excellence, and volunteering for Fellowship of Christian Athletes. Last year, Gardner earned the Stanford Athletic Board's Conference Male Athlete of the Year and Bill Walsh Awards, and was named the team's Outstanding Scholar-Athlete. He studied abroad in Spain as a junior and completed his senior thesis on the Common Agricultural Policy of the European Union. Currently, he is completing an independent study project on Organizational Form and Business Groups.
On the mat, Gardner won his second-straight Pac-10 Championship at 125 pounds this year, was named the Most Outstanding Wrestler at the Pac-10 Tournament and became Stanford's first three-time All-American with a fifth place finish at the NCAA Championships. The redshirt senior also shattered Stanford's career win record, bested his own single-season win record and topped the school's single-season pin record in 2008.
"Toyo is proud to support the Pac-10 and to acknowledge outstanding student-athletes for their efforts," said Steve Hutchinson, senior director of marketing, Toyo Tire (U.S.A.) Corporation. "By supporting today's achievers, we feel we are helping to grow tomorrow's leaders."
In order to be eligible for the Pac-10 Scholar-Athlete of the Year award, student-athletes must be a senior (in athletics eligibility) on track to receive a degree, have a cumulative grade point average of 3.0 or higher, participate in at least 50% of the scheduled contests in the sport and have a minimum of one year in residence at the institution.
The Scholar-Athletes of the Year in each sport will receive a commemorative award. Toyo will donate $1,000 to the scholarship funds of the institution's athletic department of each winner in recognition of their accomplishments.
"The Pac-10 joins Toyo in recognizing these student-athletes during the 2007-08 academic year," said Tom Hansen, Commissioner of the Pac-10. "To be selected as the best student-athlete in any sport in the Pac-10 is a very special honor, and these are special young people, in academics as well as athletics. We are very appreciative that Toyo is helping them gain the recognition they deserve for their unique achievements."
The other Pac-10 Scholar-Athletes for winter include Robbie Cowgill of Washington State for men's basketball, Steve Neuwert of Arizona State for men's swimming, Lacey Nymeyer of Arizona for women's swimming, Lindsey Pluimer of UCLA for women's basketball and Karin Wurm of Arizona for women's gymnastics.
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