At Oregon: He redshirt the 2001-02 cross country and track seasons to adjust to the collegiate level and missed the 2002-03 cross country and track seasons due to injuries. He came to CU at the 2004 semester break and competed in track during the 2004 indoor and outdoor seasons.
High School: As a senior in 2001, ranked first nationally on the track in the 10,000 with his debut effort at the (31:26.05). Missed part of the season’s remainder due to recovery from that race on March 30. Still finished sixth in 1,500 at state 4A finale (4:00.95) and fourth in the 3,200 (8:37.16). As a junior he placed 12th in the 4A state 1,500 (4:01.66) and third in the 3,000 (8:35.51), while as as a sophomore, he finished sixth in the 1,500 (PR 4:01.29) and third in the 3,000 (PR 8:32.61). Also made appearances at national class meets such as the 2000 U.S. Junior Championships (5,000, fourth, 15:15) and 1999 Golden West Invite (3,200, eighth, 9:15). Garnered national attention on track as a junior with his 14:35.8 effort at the Cardinal Invitational. In cross country, he capped his senior season with a fifth-place finish in the FootLocker Championships. At state harrier finale, finished third (15:50) as a senior, 21st as a junior (16:41), third as a sophomore (16:24), and 30th as a freshman (16:57) in his first high school race. Took second at the Oregon-Washington Nike Border Clash as a junior and senior, and also 21st as a sophomore in the USA Cross Country Championships Jr. 8K in Tacoma (25:00).
In The Classroom: He enrolled at CU for the spring ?04 semester and nearly reached President’s Honor Roll status with a 3.925 gpa. A journalism major, he has penned articles for www.runnersworld.com and the Prefontaine Classic souvenir program. Once in Boulder he interned for the Boulder Daily Camera during the 2003 and ?04 summers. He is one of eight recipients of the 2004-05 NCAA Freedom Forum Sports Journalism Scholarship.
Personal: Erik Douglas Heinonen was born Sept. 21, 1982 in Eugene. He is the son of former Duck women’s track and field head coach (1977-03) Tom (and was NCAA Coach of the Year following the 1983 and ?87 cross country and ?85 outdoor track national titles) and national track and field columnist Janet. He has a younger sister, Liisa, who runs for the Oregon club team. Tom was an All-America distance runner at Minnesota and a post-collegiate AAU marathon champion. Janet is also a marathon veteran and former sports information publicist at Oregon. His hobbies include writing, cooking and hiking.
TRACK PRs
800-m 2:00.1 2000
1,500-m 3:57.12 2004 ASU Invitational (outdoors)
3,000-m 8:27.40 2004 Pepsi Invitational (outdoors)
3,200-m 9:10.9 2000
5,000-m 14:35.8 2000
10,000-m 31:26.05 2001
