Tanner Gardner was a two-time Kansas state wrestling champion, going undefeated in his last two seasons with an 80-0 record, for Shawnee Heights High School.

He won the 2002 Greco-Roman Junior National Championships while earning All-American honors in freestyle with a third-place finish. Gardner placed fifth at the Greco-Roman Junior Nationals in 2003 while also winning double titles in freestyle and Greco-Roman in the Western Junior Regionals, earning the Outstanding Wrestler award in freestyle.

Gardner was named to Wrestling USA's Academic All-American Dream Team.