Collin Heaney '20 Recruiting Profile

I became interested in the sport of track and field when I was recruited by one of my high school coaches as early as ten years old. From then on, I continued to participate in cross country and track camps throughout my early childhood until I reached high school. When I entered the program, my high school was known for long distance. I had a couple of peers around me who were good sprinters, but they never got the recognition they deserved. From then on, my goal was to make the sprinting team recognizable. I wanted to bring my program from the ground up to becoming one of the best in the state. The one thing I learned about myself is how persistent I am. Every day, I wanted to come to practice to get better. I wanted to work on something new or fix an old problem to become an elite sprinter across the state. Being persistent has allowed me to reach new levels with not only my individual events, but my team's. I gained a ton of knowledge from the variety of coaches I've had over the three years to be able to teach my relay team and the others how to be a good sprinter. My qualities of being a persistent hard worker lead to me placing 12th in the state for the 100m and my 4by100m team placing 6th earning us a spot in new England's. New England's is the clear highlight of my track career. However, it didn't come easy. At the end of my 3rd winter season, my head coach was fired. The coach I put all my trust in and relied on the most was gone. Being the captain of sprints, I needed to gain everyone's trust and give them positive reassurances about the future even though I felt the same as every one else. The season started off uncomfortably for most, but my team adjusted to the new coaches and put their minds into a new direction. Overall, my qualities of leadership and being persistent is what shine about me. I'll never back down from a challenge. Even though I met a huge goal of mine to reach New England's, I still have more to be achieved. I want to break the school records for my events and leave East Greenwich as a sprinting powerhouse among the state.