Athlete of the Week: Heath Baldwin
KALAMAZOO, Mich. — Heath Baldwin's resume was already sterling.
The Hackett Catholic senior seemingly never met a sport he couldn't master. Growing up playing football, basketball, and baseball, it was clear Baldwin was athletic.
Then came track, as Baldwin capped a stellar high school career with three individual state championships on Saturday, and helped the Irish secure their second straight state title.
An all-state performer in three different sports, Baldwin earned top honors in the 110 hurdles, 300 hurdles, and high jump. Those are just some of the accolades that secured Baldwin a spot with the University of Michigan's track program beginning next season.
"I like the environment and I had a pretty good bond with the coach," Baldwin said on Wednesday, as he prepared for the State Championship meet. "The university...best one in Michigan, so get a good degree and be able to pursue my athletic dreams."
For a kid that grew up in Michigan, that's about a normal an answer as you can get. But Baldwin isn't a normal kid who grew up in Michigan. Instead, albeit not a die-hard, Baldwin considered himself a fan of a different school when he was young.
"My dad and my brothers and I were always Ohio State fans," Baldwin said.
Baldwin comes from an athletic family. It's also a close family. But his life changed when he was a sophomore in high school, and his father, Roger, died of pancreatic cancer.
"It definitely just expanded my look on life and what really matters," Baldwin said. "That's really helped me with sports, just knowing that you're not always going to get the chance to work hard. So you've got to work hard everyday when you're still alive, cause you never know what's going to happen."
Now the owner of five individual track and field state championships, Baldwin has worked hard. The results prove it. And, somewhere, it's easy to assume that Roger Baldwin is grinning with pride at his son's success.
"He'd probably be confused why I'm doing track...he paid all those years for travel baseball," Baldwin joked. "But I definitely think he'd be proud, and that'd be special to see the look on his face.
A safe bet.
EDITOR'S NOTE: THIS STORY IS UPDATED TO REFLECT BALDWIN'S RECENT STATE CHAMPIONSHIPS. THE ORIGINAL STORY AIRED FRIDAY MAY 31ST, THE DAY BEFORE THE STATE TITLE MEET.
