Reese Heidenreich is a very busy student-athlete. The Pioneer senior is the founder and president of the Pioneer Baking Club, she enjoys skiing and playing golf, volunteers at a local hospital and food bank, and enjoys spending time with friends and family. She also spends a lot of her time studying. The daughter of Katherine and Michael Heidenreich has a 4.0 GPA and is an AP Scholar with Distinction.
Sounds like she has her calendar pretty full these days.
But all of this is only part of her day – somehow, someway she spends countless hours in the pool as a key member of the Pioneer swimming and diving dynasty. And before we get to the numbers and times and accomplishments, let’s find out how Heidenreich is able to accomplish so much in so little time. What motivates her to be great – whether in the classroom or the pool.
“Competitive swimming is a sport that is measured in hundredths of a second,” she says. “Therefore every detail matters. Although it can be difficult to wake up early, I see it as an opportunity to continue to improve. Spending time with my teammates makes difficult practices much more enjoyable and we help keep each other accountable. Accountability plays a big role on our team. Knowing that my teammates expect me to come to practice ready to work motivates me even when it’s hard.”
Last year as a junior, Heidenreich helped the Pioneers win the MHSAA D-1 State Finals for the fourth consecutive time.
At the State Finals, she was 11th in the 200 IM with a time of 2:11.41 as Pioneer had five swimmers place in the top 11 including the top two spots. “The 200 IM finals was one of my favorite races to swim because I was right next to two of my teammates who I race often in practice,” she said.
She also was 10th in the breaststroke with a time of 1:06.82 and swam lead on Pioneer’s 200 freestyle relay team which finished fifth. “This was my first State relay I had been a part of which was a highlight of my season,” she says.
Heidenreich has not lost a dual-meet or tournament in her three plus years at Pioneer. She credits the amazing success to great leadership from the coaches. “They are the foundation of our success,” she says. “Coach Stef (Stefanie Kerska) inspires us to perform at our best on a daily basis and has great intuition into what each athlete needs to thrive. She often says, ‘how you do something is how you do everything.’ Therefore, we try to focus on small details we can do in and out of the pool to get better. Winning states the past few years has been really special as it validates all our hard work throughout the season.”
The 17-year-old senior first started swimming for Travis Pointe’s summer swim team when she was 8 and transitioned to a year-round team the following year. “I like how swimming is both an individual and team sport; I can control my own fate but I also appreciate that my teammates and I can lean on each other for support,” she says.
Heidenreich has been a member of Club Wolverine since she was 9. “I have met some of my best friends through this club and we have swam together since elementary school,” she said.
And so far, so great for the Pioneers this season.
“The season is going well so far,” she said. “I enjoy the daily routine and spending time with my teammates. As one of the team captains, it’s cool to look back and see how far I have come since my freshman year.
“This year I just want to savor my last season as a Pioneer. As a captain, one of my goals is to always create a positive team environment and mentor younger swimmers. If I could achieve a personal best time or be a part of a relay at states that would be great. For the team, I hope we can continue to motivate each other to be our best.”
Heidenreich’s swimming career may be on its final lap but she isn’t closing the door on swimming at the next level. “Right now I am not exactly sure where my swimming journey will take me,” she says. “I plan to choose my college primarily based on academics. I will always swim in some capacity because I love the sport.”
