When a coach who has seen 282 All-America honors, eight national championships and coached eight Olympians in her 25-year tenure says the following, you’ve got to be doing something right:

“Katie Heenan epitomizes college gymnastics and what a senior should be doing out there,” Georgia gymnastics coach Suzanne Yoculan said.

“She represents the foundation and core of everything our program stands for.”

Heenan, a senior Gym Dog from South Riding, Va., has been a model of consistency and hard work during her four years in Athens.

An Academic All-American and nine-time All-American in gymnastics, Heenan has often been in the background while junior Courtney Kupets, a five-time NCAA individual champion, garnered much of the attention.

That said, she’s emerged as a leader this season, and Kupets couldn’t agree with her coach’s statement more.

“She is a great gymnast and a great athlete, but she can take that and put it into a team atmosphere and not just want it for herself, but want it for her team at the same time,” said Kupets, who’s missed much of the season with an Achilles injury.

“She’s not just a gymnast, she’s not just a college gymnast, she’s a student-athlete. She does everything in a way that you would like to do it yourself one day.”

Especially with Kupets going down this year, Heenan has had the chance to fully develop and embrace her role as team leader, in or out of the gym.

“She’s definitely made herself known as a leader on this team,” Kupets said. “She’s not bossy, she’s not overbearing, but she makes herself known as a leader. If someone has a problem or if we have a problem as a team, we’re going to her.”

“Even if it’s not a time of need, she always steps it up for us,” sophomore Courtney McCool said. “I always tell her I want to be just like her.”

Heenan said it just kind of ended up that way.

“I guess it’s safe to say I’m a leader,” she said. “Everybody on this team is a leader in their own way, but this year has kind of unfolded as people coming to me, and I’ve spoken up for the team a lot. I hope I can be that role model, that person that everyone can depend and rely on.”

Teammates point to her unbelievable consistency as a reason for her success.

“She’s just so consistent and that’s what makes her a great leader,” sophomore Grace Taylor said.

“I don’t think she could be more leader-y. She’s just doing what she does and I think the reason that it seems like more this year is because we can’t believe how consistent she’s been over four years.”

After a lifetime’s worth of hard work (she started gymnastics at the age of four), that consistency seems to come easy for Heenan.

“Every time I compete I think about all the hard work I’ve put in at the gym in the years building up to it. It’s that confidence and that calmness in knowing that the numbers are there, the repetitions are there and that I just have to let myself go into autopilot,” she said.

“Being able to focus on that and rely on that has made it easier for me to be consistent.”

Heenan has said that one of her individual goals this season is to be an All-American on floor – but heading into the National Championships on Thursday at Stegeman Coliseum, Gym Dog fans can rest assured knowing she’s not focusing any energy on personal accomplishments.

“Katie’s been a leader from day one, she leads us in every aspect of life. She’s a wonderful person and a great friend, a good leader in life in and out of gymnastics,” classmate Audrey Bowers said.

“I know it’s been hard for her with her back injuries but I couldn’t have wanted anything more for her than to get that 10 on floor at senior night.”