SUNY Cortland Athletics

This is part of a series of interviews that Cortland track and field/cross country runner Shannon Imbornoni '21 conducted in 2020 with former Cortland track and field and/or cross country individual national champions.

Interview Menu

Heidi Swarts Appleby ’96

Heidi Swarts Appleby is a four-time individual NCAA champion, four-time team NCAA champion in cross country and a 10-time All-American.  She was named Co-C-Club Female Senior Athlete of the Year in 1996 along side her twin sister, Heather. Since 1997, she is the school record holder in the indoor 1,000m. Appleby lives in her hometown of Dansville with her two sons.

Some of the questions and answers have been edited for brevity and clarity.


Why did you choose Cortland?
I choose Cortland because my older sister Tracey went there. My uncle followed Jack Daniels training and got my twin sister Heather and I into running. My freshman year, Heather and I ran with Tracey at Cortland. She was a graduate student at the time and had cross country eligibility.
 
What do you remember about your national title season(s)?
I won national titles my senior year in the 1,500m in indoor, and the 3,000m and the 1,500m outdoor. I also won the 1,500m in indoor my super senior year as I had eligibility from being injured my freshman year during indoor. I struggled a bit with injuries my freshman and sophomore year. Sophomore year was very difficult because I spent a lot of time in the training room. I had a slipped disc and my pelvis would go out of alignment very easily, which was vey uncomfortable and often caused pain. I did learn how to control it through not running over 40-miles a week, cross training on the bike and running five to six days a week. I think by the time I was a senior I knew my body and how to train to the best of my ability. It was so nice when that all clicked and my times dropped.   
 
What was winning your first title like?
My freshman year we won nationals in cross country; that was my first team title. I remember it was very cold and they had to plow snow off the course. I was the seventh runner that day and I was All-American. We set a record that day for the lowest score [18 points] ever. I believe that record still stands today. It was special because three of us on the team had the last name "Swarts" (Tracey, Heather, and I). My first individual title was my senior year indoor at Smith College. I won the 1,500m. With 400m to go, a woman named Darcy Storin of Bowdoin College took off and I could not go with her. With 200m to go, I had given up on first place, but I was determined to get second. I could feel the rest of the women on my heels and I just put everything I had into it. With about 100m to go, I came up on Storin. She had made a move too soon and was struggling. I went past her and just pushed all the way through to the finish. I was so surprised and absolutely on cloud nine. Two hours later, I ran the 5k and did not place. It did not bother me at all. I did get lapped by Heather on her last lap to becoming the 5k national champion, which I will probably never live down, but nothing could ruin that day for me.
 
What is your favorite memory of Cortland?
This is such a hard question for me. I have so many fond memories. I instantly felt like part of the team; everybody was so welcoming and always encouraged one another during workouts. Winning nationals in cross country all four years that I was there was pretty great. Jack [Daniels] was a great coach and a very interesting person. He would have Heather and I sing in our munchkin voices to other coaches and at banquets.
 
What have you taken from being a part of the team?
I have taken lifelong friendships and so many wonderful memories.
 
What are you doing now?
I live in Dansville, N.Y. in the house that I grew up in. I am a single mom to two very active four (Jamison) and six (Jonah) year old boys. I also work as a school psychologist. I wish that I could say that I still run consistently, but I don't. I run about two to three days a week. I'm hoping when the boys get older, I will be able to train more consistently and maybe even race again. I do miss it! 
 
Do you have any advice for Cortland XC/TF athletes now?
My advice would be to take it all in and really enjoy your time at Cortland and as a member of the team.  You will never have a time in your life where you have such camaraderie, so live it up!