By Jackson O’Keefe

Collegiate Junior Ben Heidt (‘25) has quickly become a force in the midfield for the Cougars varsity boys lacrosse team. A lifer at Collegiate School with family ties, as Ben’s mother Kathryn is a nurse in Lower School, Heidt is a standout player on the Collegiate lacrosse team and in the state. Following his Sophomore year performance, Heidt was recognized with Second Team VISAA All-State honors, and All Prepatory League honors and led the Cougars in total points and assists in just his second year on the team. Heidt tallied 34 goals (2nd on the team) and 13 assists (3rd on team), for a team-best 47 points on the season.

Heidt carrying the ball onto offense. Photo credit: Maggie Bowman (’23).

Heading into the 2023 spring season, expectations were high for Heidt. After facing lingering quad injuries during his Freshman campaign, keeping healthy and on the field was a top priority. Heidt was going to be a key contributor and someone the team would look at to dominate and take over the game, as just a Sophomore. Heidt led the Cougars in goals on eight different occasions this past spring. His most notable performances came against Catholic High School, where he had five goals and one assist in a 17-9 victory, and against VISSA state rival St. Anne’s Belfield School, where he had four goals and two assists, in a 9-8 victory. However, the ‘23 season did not end how Heidt and the Cougars would have wanted it to, with a 10-6 loss versus VISAA lacrosse powerhouse and 2023 State Champion St. Paul VI Catholic High School.  

Heidt cutting through the defense. Photo credit: Maggie Bowman (’23).

Emphasizing Heidt’s skills, Junior Adam Sulanke (‘24) claims, “His size, strength, aggression, mixed with speed and his left-handedness, makes him such a force to be reckoned with when dodging towards the net.” Heidt is a complete player and has the abilities of a great offensive midfielder. He can dodge through a man or make his defender miss with a split dodge, then rip a laser into the corner of the goal with his right or left hand, making him a threat from anywhere on the offensive half of the field.

After his strong performance in the spring for the Cougars, Heidt set his eyes on the summer club lacrosse circuit, with hopes to follow up his electric spring with an even more impactful summer season and attract the attention of college coaches. 

The summer going into Junior year of high school is arguably the most important and impactful time for lacrosse recruiting, as this is when college coaches start to hone in on players to whom they may extend an offer. 

Leading into September 1, the most important day of the year for rising Junior lacrosse players all around the country, college coaches can officially recruit a player. In an interview, Heidt said, “This summer was really fun. Being able to play in front of sidelines packed with coaches was something I had always dreamed of, and being able to live that dream was cool.” Heidt participated in five summer tournaments, representing the Richmond Hawks AA team and the Washington D.C. region New Balance All-America team. In these five tournaments, Heidt showed his capabilities as a strong left-handed goal scorer, averaging two goals per game. After racking up at least 50 goals this summer, Heidt has likely caught the eye of college coaches all across the country.

Heidt has set the bar high, with his main schools of interest being in some of the toughest conferences in NCAA lacrosse: Dartmouth and Brown in the Ivy League, Penn State and Michigan in the Big Ten, and Syracuse and Virginia in the ACC. 

Only a few weeks in, the recruiting process already started to heat up for Heidt. Following September 1, Heidt was contacted by NCAA lacrosse powerhouse Pennsylvania State University, The College of Holy Cross, Virginia Military Institute, Dartmouth College, Providence College, and Georgetown University. Georgetown and Penn State are the most notable of these schools, typically finding themselves in the top ten ranked teams in the country, and Penn State recently made a trip to the NCAA semifinals against Duke.

Heidt bulldozing through a defender. Photo credit: Maggie Bowman (’23).

As for his Junior year, Heidt is playing football in the fall to help prepare for the lacrosse season ahead. He plans to build upon his Sophomore season, hoping to make the First Team All-State list. Randolph Campbell (‘24), a Senior attackman committed to play Division I lacrosse at Providence College,  deemed Heidt…  “A force to be reckoned with and a great teammate who can always lift morale. I’m excited to see what he does this year for us.” 

Featured image credit: Maggie Bowman (’23).