Name: Henry Woods
Sports: Cross Country, Indoor Track & Field, Outdoor Track & Field
Hometown: New York, N.Y.
High School: Dalton School
Clubs: BLAST
Why did you choose Haverford?
I initially looked at Haverford along with many of Haverford's peer colleges because I was interested in small liberal arts colleges. However, what drew me to Haverford specifically was the impassioned recommendation of my high school creative writing teacher who was a captain of the cross country and track team while at Haverford. With his encouragement along with my initial interest in the school and the community created by Haverford's unique Honor Code, I stayed overnight. After getting to meet the team and track coach Tom Donnelly, I was drawn to the school. Everyone on the team had an evident love for the sport as well as a drive to succeed both in the classroom and on the track. So with this and Haverford's recognized history of success in the sport, I was sold.
What is your favorite team experience?
I would have to say the trip to nationals my freshman year was my favorite team experience. Despite driving 16 hours over two days, something about being with my team talking and joking for that long, then getting to run around the nationals course watching my teammates race at the highest level of Division III was amazing. A lot of memories from that trip, and it definitely made me feel a lot closer to my team.
Why did you choose to play a sport in college?
I chose to play a sport in college for two reasons. Firstly, I wanted to continue running. Running has always been a release for me from everything else I'm doing, something that keeps me relaxed. Therefore, it seemed only natural to me to continue running in college. The other reason I chose to play a sport in college was because I wanted a close group of people to associate with as soon as I stepped on campus my freshman year. I didn't realize how effective customs would be at supplying a similar group, but it was certainly great to have the team when I started out freshman year.
What does being a student-athlete mean to you?
Being a student-athlete means to me that your athletics and academics are in a mutualistic relationship with each other. You're not an athlete or a student; you're both and therefore both must be benefiting from each other. I have found myself to be more productive in my academic work since I have less time to complete it. I lose two to three hours of my day because of practice, and I therefore have to use my time effectively. Likewise, I have found that some of my best competitions happen when I'm studying well and succeeding in the classroom. Track and cross country are mental games, so therefore the focus and drive I have to put into my academics translates into results out on the track.
What advice would you give a high school student considering Haverford?
The biggest piece of advice I can give is come for an overnight visit if at all possible. The way I was able to eliminate the other colleges I was considering was by staying at them for a night. The college you see on any tour is definitely different than the college you see on an overnight. The overnight at Haverford sold the college for me, whereas the overnight at some other schools I visited convinced me that they were not the right fit.