Pint-Sized Ex-Bishop Kearney Standout Looms Large On Brooklyn College Basketball Court

By Jerry Del Priore

At first glance, one might think former Bishop Kearney hoops star Chrissy Heyer, 18, isn’t much of a threat on the hardwood floor because of her diminutive size.

But despite measuring 5-feet and weighing 115 pounds, the Brooklyn College freshman guard has been able to impress earlier on in her collegiate career.

You can credit Heyer’s poise and positive self-image for her solid play, proving the naysayers wrong.

“The way I carry myself, I feel I’m much taller than I am,” Heyer, a kinesiology major, said. “Everyone assumes I’m not tough because I’m small, but I’m tough. Confidence is the key for me. The confidence really helps me, whether it’s in school work or sports.”

For her impressive efforts, the City University of New York Athletic Conference (CUNYAC) and Eastern College Athletic Conference (ECAC) Division III Metro recently named Heyer Women’s Basketball Rookie of the Week.

The Bulldogs are in the midst of an eight game winning streak, and Heyer has been an integral part of their success, averaging 11 points in seven of the tilts.

When asked what makes her an asset to the Lady Bulldogs, head coach Alex Lang started with her overall fearless nature.

“She is one of the toughest five-footers you’ll ever see,” Lang said with a slight chuckle. “She loves diving on the floor, and taking charges. And throwing her body in front of people. She does all the little things, which is great.”

But there are also non-intangible elements to Heyer’s game that helps make her valuable to the team.

“She can rebound tough. It’s positioning, but she jumps actually pretty well for that height, too,” the 13-year coach explained. “She’s strong, physically, and she has good balance. It’s hard to push her off the spot. If she gets her hands on the ball, she’s not given it up.

“She’s a tough kid, and very good all-around player,” he added. “She’s going to get a lot better even; it’s only her freshman year, obviously.”

While Brooklyn College is playing extremely well right now, sporting a 16-5 overall record (13-1 in the CUNYAC conference), Heyer believes the squad hasn’t reached its full potential yet.

“We’re playing together, but we can go much further,” the former St. Athanasius standout said. “We can play at a higher level.”

With seven seniors, including both point guards, graduating after the season, Heyer may be called upon to handle the point next year.

What does the former three-sport high school athlete need to improve upon in order to successfully handle the task?

“I feel I need to get more comfortable with the ball, get more familiar with what’s going on the court,” Heyer said. “I’ve been working on getting more shots in before games, make sure every aspect of my game is done right.”

As for fulfilling a childhood dream and meshing with the team, Heyer said being a part of the Bulldogs, who has two other Bishop Kearney girls (Justine Vento and Jaclyn Grasso) on it, has been a great fit for her. At Kearney, she drained 922 career points, and the Lady Tigers won two II Diocesan Championships during her three-year stint on the club.

Brooklyn College’s winning ways has helped ease Heyer’s transition into college ball.

“Ever since I was little, I wanted to play college ball, and now I’m doing it,” she said. “I love it. It’s like a perfect picture – coming from winning two titles in high school.”

Now, the little giant is ready to help the Bulldogs win in a big way.