KALAMAZOO, Mich. (Michigan News Source) – Michigan State University graduate Heath Baldwin is headed to Paris for the 2024 Olympics. Baldwin has competed for both the University of Michigan and Michigan State coming out of Kalamazoo and Hackett Central Catholic.

Baldwin qualified for the Olympics by winning the decathlon at the U.S. Olympic Trials in Eugene, Ore. He finished with 8,625 points for first place in the 19-athlete field recording the sixth best score in the world this year and third best all-time on the collegiate list. Zach Ziemek (2020 Olympian) and Harrison Williams will join him in Paris.

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At the sendoff, Baldwin showed the crowd the signature of his dad on his left inside arm. He says, “This has obviously changed my perspective on the way I train and the way I live. So I’m not trying to take any time for granted, and I’m constantly, always trying to remember and really live in a way that he would be proud.”

It was his sophomore year in high school that his father passed away when he started pursuing track and field at Hackett Central Catholic. He commented to the Spartans Illustrated, “I think that kind of shaped the way I thought about life and my training and everything so I think that’s helped me out a lot.” Track and field became closer to him after that point.

He went to Michigan out of high school for two years before transferring to Michigan State to finish both his undergrad and graduate degrees. He says on transferring to MSU form the Spartans Illustrated, “I ended up transferring because I wanted to switch my major, our head coach left, and a couple of my other friends transferred. So, I just felt like it was time for a change.”

The Olympic Decathlon starts on Friday, August 2.