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Joseph Gardner, a three-time Pennsylvania high school state champion, will compete for the University of Pittsburgh starting next fall.
“After lots of prayer, I’m proud to announce my verbal commitment to continue my athletic and academic career at The University of Pittsburgh. I’d like to give thanks to God for blessing me with this opportunity, as well as my family, teammates, and coaches for their support. H2P!!”
A senior at Mount Pleasant Area High School, Gardner trains year-round with the Mount Pleasant Aqua Club where he primarily specializes in breaststroke and IM.
At the 2024 PIAA Class 2A State Championship, which consists of some of Pennsylvania’s smaller schools, Gardner brought home two individual state titles. He prevailed in the 100 breast with a time of 54.28 and in the 200 IM with a lifetime best time of 1:49.01. His victory in the 100 breast made him the back-to-back state champion in the event after winning it the year previously as well.
Gardner also competed at the 2024 Speedo Sectionals competition in March. He landed a Winter Juniors cut in the 100-meter breast, winning in a best time of 1:03.87.
Best Times SCY
- 100 breast – 54.13
- 200 breast – 1:58.97
- 200 IM – 1:49.01
- 100 free – 46.44
A Division I program in the Atlantic Coast Conference, Pitt placed 7th at the ACCs last season before sending six swimmers on to compete at the NCAA Championships.
Based on the results from the 2024 ACCs, Gardner’s top times would have landed him in the ‘C’ final in the 100 breast, and he would have been right on the cusp of making it back for finals in the 200 breast as well.
While he has been swimming ever since he was young, Gardner mainly focused on wrestling until 9th grade when he began swimming for a year-round club team and decided that he wanted to swim for a Division I school in college.
Gardner will be the third member of his family to swim for a Division I team; his sister Heather is a senior at Liberty University, while his sister SaraJo is currently a freshman at Canisius College.
Joining Gardner in Pitt’s class of 2029 so far is Evan Witte, a well-rounded swimmer from Minnesota who will make for a good training partner in the breast and IM events over the next four years.
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