WOODBURY — No matter who you ask about McKenna Hardisty, one word always comes to mind: hardworking.
Hardisty, who is a three-season varsity athlete, puts sports above everything else.
“I’ve been playing soccer and basketball since I could walk,” Hardisty said. “When I was little, my dad kinda just threw me into them, and I have loved them since. I started tennis freshman year because my sister [Maylan] played, so I decided to play with her.”
Since sports were brought to McKenna early in her life, her older sister, Maylan, knows that they have helped form a positive lifestyle.
“She loves sports,” Maylan Hardisty said. “Everything she does is around sports; she loves talking about them, playing them, and loves being on a team.”
McKenna’s coaches agree that she is a hard worker. NHS girls tennis coach Chris York noticed her strong work ethic after just one season of the sport.
“I’ve only had her for the last year, but she works hard and I’m looking forward to this next season with her,” York said. “She doesn’t give up, keeps the point alive when it comes to tennis, and would never just hand it over.”
Nonnewaug girls soccer coach Nick Sheikh agrees.
“When she is dialed in, she can work very hard,” Sheikh said. “She is quick on her feet and can strike when she least expects it. She lined up a few shots later in the season where I really said, ‘Wow.’”
Along with being an excellent athlete for coaches, she’s also an amazing teammate and friend, according to senior Ireland Starziski.
“She looks out for you as a teammate,” Starziski said, “but she also wants what’s best for you, so she will push you and tell you what’s wrong and how to fix it.”
McKenna also appreciates her experience at Nonnewaug as a whole, not just athletics.
“If I’ve learned one thing from high school, I’ve learned quality over quantity,” Hardisty said. “I’m very happy with the couple of great friends I’ve made at Nonnewaug. I wouldn’t replace them for anything.”
Along with the close friends she’s made at Nonnewaug, junior football and baseball player R.J. Barksdale has been able to appreciate McKenna as his girlfriend.
“McKenna is a great friend,” Barksdale said. “She is the funniest, most beautiful person I’ve met. You can always count on her to put a smile on your face, and she has always been there for me when I needed her the most.”
