The 5-foot-8, 140-pound senior won the 800-meter run and the 1,600 at the Class 2A state meet this past season, leading the Vikings to a third-place finish as a team. It was Cardon's third straight state title in the 800 and his second in the 1,600. He broke the tape in the 800 in a meet-record time of 1:52.16. His personal-best 800 clocking of 1:50.74 at the District 5/6/7 2A state qualifying meet ranked as the nation's No. 16 performance among prep competitors this spring at the time of his selection.
Cardon has maintained a 3.95 GPA in the classroom and represents one of the state's top academic candidates in meeting the Gatorade award's broad criteria. He has signed a national letter of intent to compete on an athletic scholarship at Brigham Young University beginning this fall.
An Eagle Scout with the Boy Scouts of America, Cardon has volunteered locally as a youth track coach in addition to donating his time as part of multiple community-service initiatives through his church youth group. "Brigham's season seemed to unfold just as it was planned," said Jason Smith, head coach of Toppenish High. "He ran the marks that he wanted to when he wanted to run them."
