Then seventh-grader Charlotte Hardy took her place at the starting line in the grass outside of Indian Hills Middle School alongside over one hundred other runners, both boys and girls. Having never run competitively before, her dad encouraged her to join the cross country team just weeks before.
After two treacherous laps around the half-mile course she had solidified a strong lead on the rest of the girls in her group. Even though she was in front of the rest she couldn’t run anymore. She had stopped. Breathing hard she told Indian Hills cross country coach and social studies teacher Douglas Jones that she was good with just one mile for the first meet.
“We ended up putting her in the first meet in the mile and she annihilated people,” Jones said. “I went up to her after the race and told her she would never run a mile again for us. She smiled and laughed and said she got it.”
Unlike many other middle school runners who stop cross country after eighth grade due to burn out from running constantly, Hardy continued running in high school.
“In middle school, Mr. Jones and Mr. Dailey, they pushed me to continue running,” Hardy said. “I definitely wouldn’t have continued [without their influence].”
After regionals for track in high school, she qualified for state in both the two mile and the one mile as a freshman. According to cross country and track coach Rikki Hacker, it is unusual for a freshman to qualify in one event, and even more impressive to qualify in two.
“My favorite is probably the 1600 meter, which is equivalent to a mile,” Hardy said. “I would just say it’s a lot less than a cross country course so it’s a lot different, and it’s a different change of pace.”
Now as a sophomore, Hardy has been named Kansas MileSplit Runner of the Week, for the week of Sept. 2.
Hardy currently runs a 5:13 minute mile, an 11:18 minute two mile and a 18:36 minute three mile.
Hardy currently has an opportunity to win a state title, as she is ranked second in Kansas for girls cross country runners.
Along with having the third fastest 5k time recorded in East cross country history, the opportunities and accomplishments will keep coming for her as she is only a sophomore. She continues to push hoping to gain new personal records and improve East’s overall standings.
According to Hacker, Hardy’s cross qualifications are extremely rare, the only two East girls Grace Strongman and Lida Padgett ahead of her times just recently graduated.
“[The] two of them that are in front of [her] one is attending Kansas State University and the other one goes to college at University of Colorado Springs,” Hacker said. “It’s kind of cool because she’s already top three as a sophomore, and she may run faster before it’s all said and done. This year too.”
Hardy isn’t just a talented runner though, according to teammate and sophomore Ella Ash. She is also a positive and uplifting influence, who is very hardworking and deserving of her accomplishments.
According to Ash, Hardy never backs down from a challenge and continues to push herself even in practice when she is assigned extra repetitions in a workout or extra laps.
“It helps us having someone faster to be able to push ourselves whether we’re trying to or not,” Ash said. “Just like, subconsciously having someone better than you. I wouldn’t push myself as hard if there wasn’t someone above me also doing the same thing.”
Hardy’s accomplishments stem from the many hours of training and work. She runs over 50 miles a week and always is open to do 5:15 morning workouts or extra miles on long runs.
“She’s always there at practice,” Hacker said. “She’s not selfish at all. She’s probably the most selfless, as far as being a team captain, she’s not necessarily proactive on telling people what to do or anything, but she’s always there and held accountable.”
According to Hacker, as a team captain she trains smart, she doesn’t overload her running and she continues to show her selflessness while cheering on the rest of her teammates and holding them accountable to their workouts and their effort.
Although she started later than most, she hopes to continue to drop time and improve her speed and pace and still enjoys the sport.
“She didn’t back down and ran hard in practice,” Jones said. “She was [even] willing to run with the boys in practice and there have been very few girls we have had through the years that would do that.”