Rory Heywood '16 Recruiting Profile

I have been involved in many different sports since I was four years old. Coming from a small school in a small town, I wasn't able to begin my track career until 7th grade. At the beginning, I only did distance events. In 8th grade, I tried out high jump as a joke, being the least coordinated person on the team and not having anybody to teach me how. Three weeks later, I got 1st place in our district meet in high jump. Once I was in high school, I tried different events. I qualified for state in multiple events every year, with some combination of sprint relays and high jump making appearances. My junior year I tried out triple jump for the first time, setting PR's in all but two meets. Each time I PR'd, I improved by 7.5 inches minimum, and most times by over a foot. I began the season jumping 25' 8.5" and ended the season jumping 31' 9", in the space of just under two months. I'm self-taught, so my technique in both events is by no means perfect. However, I put time in on and off the field, having my weight training teacher help me gain strength in my jumping muscles and asking for extra exercises to do at home. I've learned how to make it work. You can see my results on my athletic.net profile (under "press" in athletics section).

My drive for success both in the classroom and on the field makes me a good candidate for your team. I take the highest level classes my school offers. I've received "A" grades in all my high school classes, and B+'s in Spanish 121, 122, and 123 through the local community college. While I'm not competing or at school, I immerse myself in a variety of extra-curriculars or jobs. I participate in different clubs and put aside some of my time to do community service. I make sure that I put full effort into whatever I'm doing. I've mastered the art of being a student athlete, and have dreamed since my first year of track of competing in college at whatever level I can while successfully earning a college degree.