NORTH BEND — Rachel Heaney was all smiles Monday afternoon.

In the North Bend High School gym lobby, Rachel, adorned in a blue Broncos long-sleeved T-shirt, signed a letter of intent to swim for Boise State University.

Rachel was glad to sign early so she can focus on the upcoming season and the rest of the school year.

“It’s a lot off my shoulders,” she said. “I’m really happy with my decision. I always wanted to do the early signing period so I would know where I’m going.”

Rachel said she’s excited to swim this season, hoping to get back up on the record board, especially in her favorite events, the 100-yard butterfly and 500-yard freestyle.

But she’s looking toward the future, too, and her parents, Jim and Brenda Heaney, said they’re excited to see where Rachel goes with her opportunity.

“It’s a great discipline for kids,” Brenda said. “But if they stick with it, you can see results.”

“We’re extremely proud of her,” Jim said.

Brenda also said BSU coaches were very involved when recruiting Rachel and made her feel welcome, setting her up with a nursing adviser who has an interest in swimming as well.

Rachel also visited the University of Nevada and San Jose State University. North Bend coach Chris Richmond said nearly every school in the Western Athletic Conference wanted her on their team so they wouldn’t have to compete against her.

Rachel said she’s ready to specialize in her favorite events once she gets to college, so she can hone her skills.

Richmond agreed, saying that she’s ready to advance to bigger and better things.

“I think it’s time for her to move on,” said Richmond, who has coached Rachel since she began swimming 10 years ago with the South Coast Aquatic Team. “It’s what she’s been working for — going to college on scholarship.”

Both Rachel and Brenda thanked Richmond extensively for his influence.

“We’re very lucky to have a coach of this caliber,” Brenda said. “He’s really dedicated with very high expectations.”

Rachel said he pushes his swimmers to their limits to get the most out of them.

“Everything he does has a purpose,” she said.

Despite being a tough coach, Richmond couldn’t say enough about Rachel’s work ethic.

“The one thing about her is that she has that inner drive,” Richmond said. “No matter what gets in her way, she can work her way through it.”

He alluded to a time when she was in an accident and had her big toe amputated more than a year ago, but was in the pool 30 days later.

“Everybody kind of wrote her off,” he said.

But she kept improving, so much that she was recruited to swim with a Division I program that already claims former North Bend swimming standout Denise Green, a close friend of Rachel’s.

Together, Rachel hopes to take the women’s team to the WAC Championship for a program that’s only four years old. She also has set another goal: making the Olympic trials.

“It’s a pretty lofty goal,” she said.

Richmond knows she has what it takes to swim in college, and thinks she’ll contribute to the Broncos immediately.

“I think she’ll get right in there and compete for her team,” he said. “It’s time for her to move to the next level.

“It couldn’t have happened to a nicer girl.”