Joe Hardy commits to Wisconsin

Dec 23, 2013 by Christopher Chavez

Seattle Prep star and Washington standout Joe Hardy has verbally committed to the University of Wisconsin. Hardy was ranked sixth in the final Saucony Elite 50 list for the 2013 cross-country season. He was fifth at Foot Locker Nationals where he ran 15:22 for 5,000-meters.

His season's best of 14:45.16 was run at the 3A Washington State Championship, where he was just narrowly beat by Tanner Anderson of North Central for the individual title. Before that Hardy only lost one race in 2013 and just two in the last two years.

Flotrack site editor Mitch Kastoff caught up with Hardy for a Q&A session in late September as the 2012 Washington state champion mapped out his fall plans. If he ran at Nike Cross-Country Nationals, he would have been the second fastest returner from the 2012 championship. Instead Hardy finished third at the Nike Borderclash on Nov. 23 and went on to race in San Diego.

Hardy had several offers around the country. He shortened his list to Georgetown, Stanford and Wisconsin before finally choosing Mick Byrne's squad in Madison.

Hardy joins a recruiting class that already has South Dakota star Addison DeHaven of Brookings High School ready for the Badgers' class of 2018.