Name – Wendy Heineke
UW-Stout graduation year – 1989
Major – Hotel and Restaurant Management
Sport(s) – Swimming
Years Played – 1985-89
Hometown (High School) – Madison, Wis. (Memorial)
Currently Reside – Annapolis, Md.
2015
1988
Why did you choose to be a collegiate student-athlete at UW-Stout? I chose Stout because it has a great hospitality school and I felt the school was very supportive of athletes for which I was able to balance being an athlete and going to school.
What did you like most about competing in collegiate athletics? I like the team atmosphere and meeting other student-athletes from around the country.
What is the greatest lesson you learned from being a collegiate student-athlete? I learned how to win and to lose along with finding the balance between my studies and being an athlete.
Who was the most influential person in your athletic career? My Dad, who was a college athlete at the University of Wisconsin.
What is your most memorable or favorite sports moment at UW-Stout? My most memorable moment was my first national championship. My entire family was at the meet including my Grandpa and Grandma who were my greatest fans!
How did your teammates describe you as a person and a student-athlete? My teammates would describe me as hardworking, a team player, motivating and passionate.
Are you in contact with any former Blue Devil student-athletes? (If so, who?) I am still in contact with Natalie and Rick Fedie. She was a diver on our team (he was a football player).
Outside of athletics, what other activities were you involved in at UW-Stout? I was a member of Alpha Phi Sorority all four years and president for one year. I was also a teacher's assistant for Mr. (Phil) McGuirk's class.
What was it like to be inducted into the WIAC Hall-of-Fame? Being included in such an amazing field of coaches and athletes was a great honor. It was such a wonderful experience and being able to meet the other two Hall of Fame Inductees from Stout was a privilege.
What was your favorite event? Why? My favorite event was the 50 and 100 Freestyle. It's not only because I had won championships, but as a sprinter feeing that adrenalin rush when you are at the blocks and the gun goes off knowing you cannot make any mistakes in the 30 seconds from start to finish.
Give us a brief synopsis of your life since graduating from UW-Stout, include job and family? I went directly into the hotel world and never left. I became a GM my second year out of college and moved my way up the ladder. I am now on the ownership side as VP of Asset Management for Pebblebrook Hotel Trust which is a publically traded Real Estate Investment Trust. My hobbies are boating, fishing, enjoying the outdoors and of course still swimming.
