Freshman weight thrower Monique Hardy has seen tremendous success to start this indoor season.
“It’s been a great experience so far,” Hardy said. “I feel my performance has been going very well.”
Hardy, from Webster, N.Y., began her track and field career in eighth grade.
“I started track and field with the hurdles then moving to the throws,” Hardy said. “I began competing in the weight throw as a freshman in high school and it didn’t really come easy to me, but by sophomore year I got the swing of it.”
As Hardy begins her collegiate career, her freshman season of college hasn’t been anything like her freshman season of high school. Hardy has won four straight meets, with a personal best throw of 71’ 11.5 (21.93) at the Charlie Thomas Invitational this past weekend in College Station, TX.
With this mark Monique holds the fourth-best mark in the country this season and the second-best throw in the school’s history.
Monique’s senior season of high school was cut short due to the global pandemic and left her not knowing the certainty of what remained for her career.
“My senior season ended really early,” she said. “My state championships were the last meet I went to. It was pretty tough, not going to lie.”
As the 2021 indoor season has gotten well underway, Hardy has had to make some adjustments from her transition from high school to college.
“My biggest adjustment is competing with older people. I’m only 19 and it’s kind of weird to competing with 22, 23-year-olds,” Hardy said.
Not only has Hardy had to making competing adjustments, she has had to make mental and physical adjustments as well.
“I had to step up to a different level and change my mindset about everything because everyone has a lot more experience than I do at the collegiate level,” Hardy said.
Hardy is confident going into the latter half of the indoor season and into outdoors.
”I feel like there is a lot more,” she said. “I feel like there is a lot to be unlocked going into the championship season and outdoor. I feel like going into outdoor I have a strong base with everything that has happened during indoor so far.”
When asked about her ultimate goal in track and field Hardy said, “Everyone dreams to go to the Olympics. Everyone dreams about going to NCAA’s, winning first there, but my goal is just to be the best me that I can be as a freshman.”
With much to look forward to in the coming weeks, Hardy doesn’t get into the placings and rankings.
“Whatever my best is my overall goal,” Hardy said, “and whatever that success is that what it is going to be.”
Hardy and the LSU Track and Field team will return to action at the Tyson Invitational in Fayetteville, AR, on Feb. 12, 2021 at 1 p.m.