Faces Of Sun Devil Athletics Support - Abby and Jace Gardner
For the 600-plus young men and women competing in ASUâs 26 NCAA varsity sports, Sun Devil Club support is the foundation for their collegiate experience, which is unlike any other in the nation.
Arizona State provides a world-class education and a welcoming community with ties around the world. Itâs a place where lifelong friendships are forged, real-world knowledge is gained from innovative leaders, role models are established, and dreams are passed on from one generation to the next. A journey that develops skills, and molds champions on the field, great spouses and parents, influencers in their respective professional fields, and civic leaders. Â Â
As a part of our celebration of the best supporters in college athletics, we are recognizing Sun Devil Club members and season ticket holders whose support is not only creating this experience, but also changing the lives and shaping the futures of countless young men and women.
Abby and Jace Gardner met as freshmen living in the same dorm at ASU, and no matter where theyâve called home over the years, ASU has been the commonality thatâs bound them. They currently reside in Golden, Colorado. Â
Thank you for being a part of the Sun Devil Club and investing in our student-athletes.
Meet Abby and Jace
In what ways are you connected to ASU?
Our connection to ASU is deep-seated because we met as freshmen at ASU living on the D-3 floor of the former Sahuaro Hall. In the 30 years we've known each other and the 21 years we've been married, ASU has been a common thread in our everyday lives, from maintaining friendships with our fellow dorm floor family to bringing our kids to Arizona for ASU football weekends every fall.Â
What does it mean to you to be a Sun Devil and be a part of the Sun Devil Family? How does it help connect you with your community?Â
I love telling people I'm a Sun Devil and sharing with them my experience with ASU. I know many people whose kids have attended, or currently attend ASU, so I connect with them on that level. Before settling in Colorado, we moved quite a bit while Jace served in the Air Force. One of the first things we would do in each new city was find out where the closest ASU Alumni chapter met for game watching parties. It was a great way to meet people and establish an instant connection. Â
How has your experience at ASU positively impacted your life?Â
I think my experience at ASU has positively affected my life in many ways, first & foremost, that I'm married to someone I met in the dorm! I also think my ASU experience working as a student athletic trainer during my time at ASU helped me in my professional life. I've been able to take advantage of many personal & professional opportunities as a result of that experience. From Jace's perspective; my time at ASU has had a profound impact on who I am every day. I grew more as a person in my time at ASU than at any other time in my life!Â
Why do you think it is important to support collegiate athletics, and specifically Sun Devil Athletics?Â
Jace: I think ASU is a reflection of who I am. When I say I went to college there, I want people to respect the school academically and athletically. I think by contributing, you are helping contribute positively to who you are! Â
What is your most memorable Sun Devil memory?
That is a very tough question, as many of the most important aspects of our lives have some ASU reference. For Jace, it has to be graduating and being commissioned in the Air Force. Both of those experiences are lifelong memories.Â
Describe the most exciting game/meet/match you have attended.Â
Wow. There are so many-- for Abby, being on the sideline/field when ASU football beat U of A at U of A for the 1992 Territorial Cup is a definite highlight, watching Lynn James make that amazing one handed catch, & witnessing Nathan LaDuke's infamous interception and 92-yard return for a TD. Jace attended multiple College World Series games, and we were both in the stands as alumni to watch ASU football shutout Nebraska. Abby also has many memorable moments from her time as a student athletic trainer, from having to change from travel attire to game attire in the janitorial closet of the Rose Bowl to hanging on for dear life as Troy Young gunned the golf cart down the hill to what was then the University Activity Center and slamming on the brakes at the last possible moment. Other fond memories include being part of Camp Tontozona three-a-day practices & traveling to Tokyo, Japan, for the 1990 Coca-Cola Bowl Game, and having the privilege of working directly with the Women's Volleyball team, Men's & Women's Gymnastics teams and Wrestling.
If you could have dinner with any Sun Devil student-athlete/coach/staff member from the past or present who would it be and why?Â
Hard to pick one, but for Jace it would have to be Jim Brock, our legendary baseball coach. He was so unbelievably successful, I think having a conversation with him would help in any walk of life. For Abby, I'd want to have dinner with my athletic training mentors, Troy Young and Perry Edinger, and thank them. Both of them saw in me something I didn't see in myself and believed in me when I didn't have the confidence to believe in myself. They had a profound impact on me in different ways and for different reasons, but they helped me become who I am today, and for that I am grateful. Â













