Expectations were always high for recent Milton High School graduate Marissa Hardy. Even when she was a freshman lacrosse player in 2007, head coach Tim Godby saw something special in Hardy before she had played her first varsity game.

“It has been great to coach an athlete of Marissa’s caliber,” said Godby. “I gave her No. 23 when she was a freshman and called her ‘Michael Jordan’ throughout her career, because I knew she was going to be special. Teams would always try to double and triple-team her or deny her the ball, but they never could stop her.”

The numbers back up Godby’s words. Along the way to guiding the Lady Eagles to three GHSA state titles in four years, Hardy led the team in scoring each year during her varsity tenure. Her 285 career goals are tops in school history.

In Milton’s 14-4 state finals victory over Lassiter on May 15, Hardy paced the team with four goals, capping a sensational prep career on a day the Milton boys also won a state title.

In addition, she exits Milton as a two-time U.S. Lacrosse All-American and Academic All-American, and a three-time First Team All-State selection.

Hardy will attend the University of Georgia in the fall, and plans to play club lacrosse in Athens.