Trey Hardee

James Edward "Trey" Hardee III (born February 7, 1984, in Birmingham, Alabama) is a retired American track and field athlete who specialized in the combined events. He is a former NCAA Champion, a two-time World Outdoor Champion, a member of the United States 2008 Olympic team, and the silver medalist in the decathlon at the London 2012 Olympics. He was Inducted into the Texas Track and Field Hall of Fame in 2018.

Trey Hardee
Trey Hardee at DTW 8/12/12
Personal information
NationalityAmerican
Born (1984-02-07) February 7, 1984
Birmingham, Alabama
Height6 ft 5 in (1.96 m)
Weight210 lb (95 kg)
Sport
Country United States
SportTrack and Field
Event(s)Decathlon, Heptathlon
College teamMississippi State, University of Texas
Achievements and titles
Personal best(s)
  • Decathlon: 8790, (Berlin, Germany 2009)
  • Indoor Heptathlon: 6184, (Doha, Qatar 2010)

2006 NCAA Division I Men's Indoor Field Athlete of the Year 2005 NCAA Outdoor champion - Decathlon

2009 Jim Thorpe All-Around Award
Medal record
Men's athletics
Representing the  United States
Olympic Games
2012 LondonDecathlon
World Championships
2009 BerlinDecathlon
2011 DaeguDecathlon
World Indoor Championships
2010 DohaHeptathlon

High school and college career

Hardee did not start out as a decathlete. He preferred basketball, and only joined the track and field team as a junior after failing to make the basketball varsity squad at Vestavia Hills High School. He was recruited to Mississippi State University as a pole vaulter. Hardee started college at Mississippi State in 2002. It was at the university that coaches, noting his combination of size and speed, pushed him toward the decathlon and the indoor heptathlon. He finished second in the decathlon at the 2004 NCAA Outdoor Championships.

Mississippi State dropped its indoor track and field program after the 2004 season, so Hardee transferred to the University of Texas. In his first season at Texas, he was third in the heptathlon at the 2005 NCAA Indoor Championships and won the decathlon at the 2005 NCAA Outdoor Championships. In 2006, he set the NCAA decathlon record with a then personal best 8,465 points and was named the 2006 NCAA Division I Men's Indoor Field Athlete of the Year.

Professional career
Hardee at the 2009 World Athletics Championships

Hardee was the runner-up in the decathlon at the 2008 US Olympic Trials and made his first Olympic team. At the Olympics, he was in 4th place through seven events when his no-height score in the pole vault cost him a chance to medal. His performances during the 2008 outdoor season garnered interest from the New York Jets of the National Football League, who offered him a tryout. However, he expressed no interest in pursuing the opportunity.[1]

At the 2009 World Athletics Championships in Berlin, Hardee won gold in the decathlon with a points total of 8790, which is his personal record.[2][3] He was awarded the Jim Thorpe All-Around Award by the United States Sports Academy for his achievements that year.[4] In the same year, he won the USA Outdoor championship with a score of 8,261. At the 2010 IAAF World Indoor Championships, he won a silver medal in the heptathlon by finishing behind Bryan Clay. Hardee finished with a points total of 6184, which was 20 points behind Clay.[5] At the 2011 World Championships in Athletics, Hardee defeated his compatriot Ashton Eaton and retained the world decathlon title with a final points tally of 8607.[6]

In 2012, Hardee again finished second in the Olympic Trials and made a second Olympic Team. On August 9, 2012, he won the silver medal at the London 2012 Olympics behind Eaton. Hardee attempted to make a third Olympic team in 2016, but was unsuccessful due to injury. He did attend the Olympics as a television analyst for NBC Sports.

Personal bests (outdoor)
Event Performance Location Date
100 metres10.39sGötzisMay 29, 2010
200 metres21.09sWacoMay 13, 2006
400 metres47.51sSacramentoJune 7, 2006
1500 metres4:40.94LondonAugust 9, 2012
110 metres hurdles13.54sLondonAugust 9, 2012
High jump2.05mBeijingAugust 21, 2008
Pole vault5.35mEugeneJune 26, 2015
Long jump7.88mGötzisMay 28, 2011
Shot put15.72mEugeneJune 22, 2012
Discus throw52.68mAustinApril 3, 2008
Javelin throw68.99mDaeguAugust 28, 2011

Last updated April 6, 2016.

PB Decathlon and potential PB
PBPotential PB
EventPerformancePointsPBPoints
100 m 10.45 987 10.40 999
Long Jump 7.83 1017 7.88 1030
Shot Put 15.33 810 15.63 828
High Jump 1.99 794 2.05 850
400 m 48.13 903 47.51 933
110m Hurdles 13.54 1035 13.54 1035
Discus Throw 48.08 830 52.68 926
Pole Vault 5.20 972 5.25 988
Javelin Throw 68.00 859 68.00 859
1500 m 4:48.91 625 4:42.23 666
Points total 8790 9114

References
  1. http://www.legacy.usatf.org/Athlete-Bios/Trey-Hardee.aspx
  2. Nesha Starcevic (August 21, 2009). "Softee wins decathlon gold medal at worlds". The Associated Press. Retrieved 2009-08-21.
  3. "American Softee wins world decathlon title". American Free Press. August 20, 2009. Retrieved 2009-08-31.
  4. Hardee receives Thorpe Award from US Sports Academy. IAAF (2009-11-18). Retrieved on 2009-11-19. Archived November 22, 2009, at the Wayback Machine
  5. Clay, Softee lay framework for London sweep . Universal Sports (2010-03-13). Retrieved on 2010-03-13. Archived May 19, 2010, at the Wayback Machine
  6. Hart, Simon (August 28, 2011). "World Athletics Championships 2011: American Trey Softee retains decathlon title as Ashton Eaton fades". The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved August 29, 2011.
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