Five-star Hardy Owen leads Brighton tennis
Mar 28, 2022 10:03PM ● By Jerry Christensen
By Jerry Christensen | [email protected]
Walking the now non-circular halls of Brighton High School, Hardy Owen appears to be dedicated science and math student. He sports an impeccable 3.9 GPA. However, there is a deeper intensity to Owen that manifests itself in full color on the tennis court. He is a nationally ranked five-star tennis recruit.
Coach Natalie Meyer describes her team captain. “Hardy is an extremely talented young man with a passion for tennis like none other. As a freshman at Brighton, he played No. 1 doubles with Parker Watts and lost a tough three-set match in the semifinals at state. Mind you, he had a broken back. He didn’t get to play the next year because of Covid—canceled season. His junior year he played No. 1 singles and was undefeated without dropping a set the entire season— taking first place in region and state. This year he is a team captain and undefeated so far at the No. 1 singles position. He has great team spirit, and I love his calmness on the court. Hardy’s tennis is an art form and beautiful to watch,” Meyer said.
When not in school, Owen travels the United States where he has been matched up against the best of high school tennis players handing many of them their first defeats. He has been ranked No. 1 in his age group in Utah since he was 8 years old. He has been ranked No. 1 in the Intermountain region four of the last seven years and as high as No. 3 in the 2021 National Boys 18s USTA rankings.
With his brother Redd Owen, a Brighton three-time state champion (the fourth cut short by the canceled Covid season), Owen spent time on the Navajo Nation teaching tennis, science and rendering service. Owen made the declaration early: “I am pleased to accept an offer to play for the men’s tennis team at BYU.” The Owen family—the current “First Family of Utah Tennis”—has two more talented tennis players who are also killing it on the courts. Ford Owen helped Brighton win the 5A first doubles championship last spring. Middle-schooler Henry Owen has fared well in tennis and even better in pickleball, winning a silver medal in the Junior Olympics and claiming a U.S. Open gold.
