On Wednesday, March 1, 2023, Quakertown senior Rebekah Hickey was recognized for committing to compete in cross country and track at Rider University. (Photos courtesy of Jennifer Banas/Quakertown HS)
Rebekah Hickey – Rider University (Cross Country/Track & Field)
Major: Secondary English Education
Reasons for choosing Rider: “I loved the team and the coach when I met with them during my visit, and I liked how the campus was on the smaller size. This college also has the major I want, and I heard its program in that field is very good. I also really like how the college is only about an hour away, which is not far at all but still away from home.”
What was the progression that led you to competing in cross country and track at the collegiate level? “I started thinking about running in college in middle school, both since my sister got recruited for track right around then which inspired me and because I loved the sport and wanted to continue to compete at higher levels as I would grow up. The recruiting process started my junior year when I started getting in contact with coaches I was considering running for who either I or they would reach out first. Eventually, Rider reached out to me, and after I visited, I committed.”
Track coach Jason Anderson says: “Bekah always, always is thinking. She does events that go on for a very long time, so imagine running in a race that is 10 minutes and cross country it’s even longer, and the whole time she is categorizing, watching her opponents, judging their distances, judging their times. It’s got to be incredibly exhausting. I thought to myself, ‘This woman is going to be a fantastic coach’ because she’s going to know exactly what her athletes are going through, and she’s going to be able to articulate to them, ‘I know what you’re going through,’ and she’ll know the right thing to say.
“Over the years, I’ve watched her just really delve into a higher level of athletics where you’re really paying attention to your environment and your opponents. It would be great if she came back to Quakertown to coach, but wherever she ends up as a teacher and coach, she’s going to a fantastic school for education. I really hope she considers coaching because she has that ability to empathize and see what’s going on. Good luck, Bekah, you’re going to do great things.”
Cross country coach Mike Mooney says: “It was an honor and pleasure to coach Rebekah Hickey over the last four years. She certainly led by example and made my job easier. She was very coachable, and she was willing to step out of her comfort zone. Rebekah comes from a long line of runners in the Hickey family. I had the opportunity to coach her older sister Ashlyn, who’s at Millersville, along with her younger brother Josiah, who was a freshman this past season on the cross country team.
“Rebekah’s PR (personal record) is 19:00.2. She did that at the Paul Short Invitational. Her previous best was her freshman year – she ran a 19:24. She was selected first team all-league, compiling a record of 4-1 in dual meets as well. She did that in her junior year as well. She medaled in every invitational, which is usually top 15 or top 25. She did it her junior year, and she did it her senior year, so she was very, very consistent. Just her leadership and her placing in dual meets led to our first winning season on the girls’ side in my five years. She qualified twice for the PIAA state championship at Hershey. She had a time of 21:55 last year, and on the same course, she ran a 21:38 this year, which is a significant drop in a year – a little over a 17-second drop from one season to the next.
“Rebekah is her own harshest critic – she is never settling for her time or her place. She’s always looking for improvement, and she was instrumental in our recruiting. On the girls’ side, we almost doubled our team – we went from five or six to well over 10. Her sophomore year she suffered a season-ending injury, but she continued to attend practices and meets even though she was not able to participate as she felt being part of the team was important and led to her selection as this past season’s cross country captain. We have a co-ed cross country team, and she was the sole captain for both boys and girls, and that decision came very easy. I did rely on her very much – almost as an assistant coach. I coached the past season solo, so we would talk before practice and sometimes after practice. We would discuss workouts, we would discuss strategies. Rebekah is much more than just a runner – she’s a member of the National Honor Society, and she gives true meaning to the term student-athlete. She will be an asset to any college program, and Rider University is fortunate to have her as a member of their cross country and track team.”
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