Salute To Seniors: Jonah Heng - Shawnee Mission West
What was your most memorable race?
My most memorable race would be the State 3200 senior year. Breaking a meet and school record was something that I had no idea I could do and I really never thought about the possibility of it happening. I was even more happy with my personal improvement, since it was a huge PR for me.
Who was your biggest competition?
I would consider my biggest competition to be myself. No matter what race I was in I would get nervous. My biggest fear was losing and I would always size up the competition and usually get intimidated by it. It took me awhile to realize that I didn't have to win to be successful, but rather do my best and give it my all.
Out of all of your high school accomplishments which stands out the most?
The accomplishment that stands out to me the most is having my cross country team make it to state for three consecutive years. Before my sophomore year West had not made it to state since the mid 1990s. Just making it to state was a huge accomplishment for us. On top of that, we improved place wise each year.
If you could do it all over again what would you change about your running career in high school?
If I could do it all over again I would probably start running earlier than freshman year and run more miles in those early years.
What were the most difficult obstacles you had to overcome?
Since I haven't had to deal with any major injuries, the biggest obstacle I have had to overcome would be my own expectations. If I would relax before a race and just go out and have fun, I usually had a better race. At the beginning of my career I would often race just to reach certain times or places rather than enjoying the journey.
What will you miss the most?
I will certainly miss my teammates the most. We are one big family and a majority of my friends are on cross country or track. We all had a blast training and competing with one another, as well as pushing each other to their very best.
Do you have any advice for younger athletes?
My advice to younger athletes would be to just have fun and stick with it. Even if you aren't a superstar right away, keep training and putting in the work. All of the miles you run now may not pay off right away, but they will eventually.Cross country was a huge part of my life and it is where I met most of the friends I have now. I cherish every memory I have and I wouldn't trade them for anything.
What are your college plans?
I will attend the University of Nebraska-Lincoln and run cross country and indoor/outdoor track. I plan to major in Civil Engineering.
Who would you like to say thank you to?
I would like to say thank you to my parents for supporting me this whole time and taking me to practice, buying shoes, etc. I would also like to say thank you to all my teammates for pushing me to be my best and always being there for me. And a huge thank you goes to my coach Jeff Onnen. He is one of the nicest, most caring people I have met and has a tremendous love and passion for the sport. Without his guidance and belief in me I would be no where near my true potential.