Mya Hartjes Breaks Five School Records in One Year

Her bright smile and laid-back personality might not make her the most intimidating competitor—but if opponents underestimate her, they do so at their own peril.

It doesn’t take long to realize that Mya Hartjes ’23 leads with discipline, fitness, and a supernatural ability to anticipate outcomes and act accordingly. Her superior athletic abilities were never more apparent than during this past school year, when she broke an incredible five school records—one in cross country, one in girls basketball, and three in track and field—in one year. She is one of the only USM athletes to achieve that feat.

In fall, Hartjes set the school record of 18:48.65 at the 2021 Mukwonago Cross Country Invitational. In winter, she became the all-time leading scorer for the school’s girls’ basketball program—setting that record shortly after earning her 1,000th point, only the second girl in the history of the program to do so. In spring, she ran the 1,600-meter race with a time of 5:10.43, earning her a first-place finish and her third school record for the year in track and field.

Hartjes was part of the girls’ varsity track and field relay team that broke the school record—twice—for the 4x800 meter event—first on May 7, with a time of 10:04.64, and again at the state track and field meet in June with a time of 9:59.32. Her teammates in those races were Bella Grenier ’25, Izze Keller ’25, and Annie Norman ’25.

“As a competitor, Mya wears the other athletes down over the course of a race, regardless of the distance,” said Joe Eason, varsity track and field coach and Upper School faculty member. “She can outsprint most other distance runners in the 800, maintain a hard pace in the first three laps of a 1,600, and close with a faster final lap than the other runners. Her discipline and patience through the ups and downs and shifting positions make her a threat in any race.”

“Mya is an incredible athlete,” said Director of Athletics Tim Williams. “To set five records in one year is an amazing achievement. Not only is she incredibly gifted from an athletic standpoint, she’s a leader in every sport she plays and is well-liked by her coaches and teammates. We couldn’t be more proud of Mya.”