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Photo by Andy Atkinson Colleen Heider has sliced through the water for strong marks in the freestyle and backstroke events. Eagle swim team is an I-opener By KRIS HENRY EAGLE POINT -- No man is an island unto himself, but at least one Eagle Point High student is a team unto herself. Colleen Heider doesn't have to worry about being blocked out by another Eagle in the swim team photo -- she is the team. The 15-year-old sophomore never meant for it to work out that way. All she really wanted was a chance to compete at the high school level. Of course, that was easier said than done. Photo by Andy Atkinson Heider is a one-person show. Since Eagle Point didn't have a swim team, Heider asked to compete as a member of an existing high school team -- be it Crater or either Medford high school. Like most simple solutions, her request was shot down by OSAA rulings that maintain Class 4A swimmers cannot join another school's team. In contrast, swimmers in Class 3A-2A-1A are allowed the opportunity to join other squads. Left with the options to appeal the OSAA regulation, drop her quest or form her own team, Heider and Eagle Point athletic director Michael Remick chose the latter. Thanks to the efforts of Remick and his athletic director peers in the Southern Oregon Conference, a schedule was made up for the lone Eagle to compete this season. To repay their faith, Heider has continually finished among the top three in her chosen events. She boasts personal-best times of 28.30 in the 50 freestyle, 1:00.84 in the 100 free and 1:11.80 in the 100 backstroke. "All the other coaches have been really helpful about fitting me into their meets," Heider says. "They already had their schedules, but they've let me in and let me swim by myself." Remick says Heider, in turn, has been helpful for Eagle Point High. "It's worked out very well," he says. "When Colleen and her parents came forward, I was kind of thrilled to the idea that maybe it could be a seed for us to move forward here at the school. We don't have a pool, but it would be nice to get something started.'' Heider's actions make one believe she's been bitten by the swimming bug all her life, but in reality she's been swimming for only the past 1 years as part of the team at Superior Athletic Club in Medford. It was there, under the coaching of Suha Tokeman, where Heider discovered the lure of swimming. "There's always room for improvement," Heider says of swimming. "You can always set a goal and try to achieve it." That simple theory sums Heider's lifestyle as well, with the sophomore spreading herself thin thanks to her efforts in several extracurricular events. Besides swimming, she is a member of the school's jazz and concert choirs and 4-H Club. She is also currently portraying Myrtle May in the school's production of "Harvey," and is involved in the Eagle Institute of Performing Arts -- a program for self-directed learners at Eagle Point. All the while, Heider maintains a 3.8 grade point average. "Some people think I keep myself too busy, but I like doing everything," Heider says. "I like being out there. I don't like just sitting back. "I try to make everything fit together as well as possible and balance my time. It's hard, but I make it work." That in itself is a miracle, considering she practices five days a week at Superior Athletic Club. Her training as a member of the Superior swim team ranges from two to three hours each night. Her dedicated work ethic has helped raise Heider to the senior level on the Superior Club team, and has earned the respect of Tokeman. "She has the mentality to succeed," the Superior coach says. "She really wants to take care of her technique and conditioning so she doesn't leave things to chance. She's a wonderful person to work with. "With more experience, she will be incredibly better. In her junior year and senior year, they're not going to be able to catch her." Although Heider is trained and coached by Tokeman, it is her father, Kent, who is listed as her coach when she competes at the high school level. OSAA rules require a coach on deck at each high school meet, so Kent Heider has been the one responsible for signing his daughter up for events and keeping track of her times. About all he doesn't do is provide swimming tips to his daughter. "This is all pretty new to him too," the younger Heider says of her de-facto coach. Kent Heider also provides something his daughter lacks at high school events -- a cheering section. The younger Heider admits that is one of the disadvantages of being the lone Eagle Point swimmer. "I don't have a team, so I don't get that team support like other swimmers," she says. "I also don't get to swim any relays." That's not to say it's all negative for the sophomore, who says she does enjoy being able to choose the events she will compete in for the Eagles. She also enjoys not having to undergo two sets of practices, as many of the other Superior club team swimmers must do. The 15 year old says she hopes to eliminate one of the aforementioned negatives next season by combing the Eagle Point halls for potential teammates. "Not a lot of people know that you can swim for Eagle Point, but we're hoping to change that," she says. "We're hoping to have a small team next year and maybe have a coach. There wasn't enough money in the budget this year, but maybe next year. I definitely think there's an interest from the people I've talked to." Tokeman says he has no doubts that his student will not be the lone Eagle Point swimmer next season. "I think Colleen will pull some of those people together with her efforts," he says. "I think she is a pioneer in her school." And if the need arises, Remick says Eagle Point High will do all it can to help its budding athletes. "If enough kids are involved, we're going to have to go try and find the money," he says. "That's what we're about here -- we want to help our kids in any way we can." And so far, the Eagles are off to a flying start. Today's Sports Index Mail Tribune Copyright� The Mail Tribune 1999, Medford,