Kaitlin Hardie says yes to Winona
In the end, comfortability meant more to Kaitlin Hardie than anything else.
And for that reason above all, Hardie will sign her National Letter of Intent today to accept a softball scholarship from NCAA Division II Winona State.
Hardie, a senior at Crystal Lake South, chose Winona over offers from Division I schools Butler, Georgia and Western Illinois. She will join her triplet sister Megan at the Minnesota school. Megan Hardie committed to Winona last month.
"Part of it was that Megan is going there," said Kaitlin Hardie Monday night. "I've played with her my whole life. Why not four more years?"
Hardie also said the continued interest coach Greg Jones at Winona showed in her, even though she missed the entire 2007 season with an ACL injury, was a big factor in her decision.
"I really like coach Jones and the program," she said. "He was one of the first coaches that contacted me a year ago and I really really respect him and how he stuck with me even through my injury."
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At Winona, Hardie will join a program that has qualified for the Division II North Region tournament four of the last six years. Jones will be entering his 10th season as the Warriors' coach and has accumulated a 316-129 record there. His 2008 team went 38-15, won the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference tournament championship and finished the season ranked No. 15 in the final National Fastpitch Coaches Association poll.
Hardie, who plays for the Northern Illinois Lightning 18U Black team that her dad, Mark, and former Winona State and Stevenson High School standout Elissa Wisniewski are the coaches of, hit. .352 for the Gators her freshman year and .477 her sophomore season, is a natural shortstop but has played virtually every position on the field. She had an .802 slugging percentage with 4 home runs, 9 triples, 6 doubles and 36 RBI her sophomore year and is 24-of-26 stealing bases in her high school career.
While saying no to three Division I programs wasn't easy, Hardie said her decision was never based on the level.
"I tried not to pay attention to the divisions," she said. "That's not what it's all about. You have to go where you feel most comfortable and for me that was Winona."