by Georgia Kaufman

Humor Editor 

A stellar student in her classes at LGHS, a helpful soul in peer to peer education groups, and an absolute beast in rowing, senior Varsity Women’s rower Tatum Heyl has officially committed to Gonzaga University in Washington for her next four years.

Heyl has been rowing competitively for the past four years, and her growth in the sport has given her immense gratification, not just for her, but also for her teammates and coaches. The senior has been a part of Los Gatos Rowing Club’s Varsity Women’s team since she was a sophomore in high school. The senior has stayed motivated throughout the years because of her love of the sport and how it is “very team oriented – everyone works individually toward one goal and the only way to achieve it is by working together.”

After the coronavirus struck, Heyl described the struggle that her team has been facing. “Rowing is a very team-oriented sport, and I think it’s really hard right now because of COVID to get really close and form those team bonds,” commented Heyl. “It’s hard because we haven’t been able to row in the big boats anymore, but we have really been able to make it work under all of the circumstances. It’s enjoyable because we are able to stay safe and still practice almost every single day.” Amidst her dedication to the sport and school, Heyl spoke about what her recruiting process for college was like. “It was long. I started in my sophomore year, and it was hard, but it was enjoyable. Seeing all the work that you have put in makes it all worth it in the end.” 

Following COVID-19 guidelines, the rowing team has not been able to practice in boats together since Mar. 10. “Being in the single [one-person boats] as well as staying distanced from teammates has been hard – really hard.” The senior reflected on her time spent six feet away from all other teammates saying, “I do believe that it will all pay off in the long run because we have been making a lot of individual gains now. Soon everyone will be really happy to see an end result.” Heyl went on, “I’m just really excited to see where this work can take us when we can finally row together.”

Despite her devotion and commitment to her sport, Heyl does not fall short of being an academic goddess. She flew into distanced learning with ease, as she was “able to get the hang of it really easy.” According to Heyl, “The whole online thing has actually been found to be…  pretty enjoyable.” Tatum takes four honors and AP classes, and she excels in each and every one of them, always challenging herself academically.

The senior is looking forward to spending her next years at Gonzaga University, and rest assured, she will be rowing her heart out in Washington.