With her cross country career drawing to a close, Heidi Caldwell ’14 wasn’t about to go quietly. In last weekend’s Ivy League Heptagonal Outdoor Track and Field Championships — the race that determines the conference champion — Caldwell was first among the last-place Bears and snagged 11th overall.
Co-captain Caldwell has led the Bears on and off the course this season, placing first on the team in every race. She finished 10th overall at the Dartmouth invitational, 31st at the Paul Short Invitational and second at the Rothenberg Invitational.
For her leadership and success, Caldwell has been named The Herald’s Athlete of the Week.
The Herald: What was it like to run at your fourth and final Ivy League championship meet?
Caldwell: It was really sentimental. The Ivy League meet is kind of like — I don’t even know how to describe it. It’s a really special meet where all the Ivies come together, and it just means … basically it was really sentimental, and it meant a lot, and it’s my favorite meet of the year. I love it more than track. … Everyone goes out there and gives it their all, and there’s such a rivalry between all the Ivy Leagues, and everyone goes balls to the wall, and it’s really fun.
With only the NCAA Championships left, are you starting to get nostalgic about your career at Brown?
Yes, I was actually just talking to my friend about that. It’s really sad. Cross country has been my favorite sport since high school, and the team has been such a big part of my college experience, so I’m really sad. I’m just trying to make the most of the final few weeks and do my best in our last meet.
What are your hopes and expectations for NCAA regionals?
I really want our team to do well, first of all. A top-ten finish would be a really big deal. I don’t think we did what we could have done at our Ivy League meet, so I think we’re all pumped and ready to do better. And personally, I don’t know. I don’t really like setting tangible goals. I just want to hopefully keep improving over the next two weeks and do the best I can and hopefully finish better than I ever have at regionals.
When did you start running competitively?
My freshman year of high school.
Why did you choose Brown, and has your experience lived up to your expectations?
Yes, it has lived up to my expectations. I don’t know why I chose Brown. I went on different recruiting trips to different schools. I think it all sort of came down to the team atmosphere, and I loved everyone I met on and off the team on my visit. It just seemed like the perfect fit, and it was fun, really fun.
Could you say a little about why you chose environmental studies as a concentration?
I’m from New Hampshire, and I’ve always loved the outdoors, so I think I just decided that all those classes were the most interesting to me. And with running, we’re always outside and in nature, and I was like, “You know what? This is perfect.” So I went with that.
What are your plans for next year?
Oh, great question. I’m very undecided at the moment. I think eventually I want to go into teaching and coaching for high school, but I don’t know if I’m going to do that right away. Maybe something environmental, maybe something totally random.
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