Huntington North High School (HNHS) senior Addy Wiley made her college choice official on Monday, Nov. 29, signing her National Letter of Intent to attend the University of Colorado in Boulder, CO. Wiley will be continuing her academic and athletic careers, running both cross country and track for the Buffaloes.
Wiley has compiled a decorated career as a Viking student-athlete. The 2021 Indiana Gatorade Player of the Year in Track and Field is a three-time IHSAA Track and Field state champion, having won the 1,600 meter run in 2019 and 2021 and the 800 meter run in 2021. Wiley is the Indiana indoor track state record holder in the 800 meter run, 1,600 meter run and 3,200 meter run.
Wiley’s most recent track accomplishment was being crowned as the national champion in the mile run at The Nike Outdoor Nationals this summer.
As a cross country runner, Wiley was a three-time IHSAA State Finals qualifier, finishing 10th in 2019, sixth in 2020 and seventh in 2021 to earn All-State honors all three years. Wiley also claimed three individual sectional and regional titles during her cross country career and guided her team to two sectional and regional titles.
Wiley also earned two Northeast 8 (NE8) Conference cross country individual titles and an NE8 team title in 2020. Wiley’s personal record time of 17:53.4 stands atop Huntington North’s all-time girls 5k leaderboard.
“To me, what sets Addy apart from other runners of her caliber is how she cares for her teammates,” said Brian Milton, HNHS girls track and field head coach. “She is very selfless and is willing to put the needs of her teammates above her own. That was very apparent the ‘pre-tournament’ meets the last couple seasons. She is happy to do what is needed to help the team and her teammates accomplish their goals and push them to the next level of their potential.”
In addition to her running prowess, Wiley also played for the HNHS varsity girls soccer team for four years and the varsity girls basketball team for two. On the soccer pitch, Wiley earned NE8 Conference All-Conference accolades all four years, including First Team All-Conference honors as a sophomore, junior and senior.
Wiley is a scholar student-athlete and is active in other clubs and organizations in addition to her athletic activities. She is a member of the National Honor Society, Rotary Interact Club, Junior Rotarian, Student Athletic Board Member, Freshman Mentor, Huntington Youth Leadership Academy and in the top 25 of the Class of 2022.
Wiley stated she was very selective in the early going of her recruitment process and had narrowed down the field to five schools, Princeton University, Stanford University, the University of Colorado, the University of Michigan and the University of Virginia before then selecting Colorado and Michigan as her two finalists. At that time, Wiley began accepting offers and received offers from both schools. With both offers on the table, Wiley ultimately decided to head west.
“I think Colorado will be a great place for me to improve the strength of my running and still maintain my speed,” Wiley said. “From talking with my future coaches, they put a large emphasis on the strength aspect of running, which is probably my weakest area. For that reason, I am excited to train and improve on that.”
“While at Colorado, I hope to be part of several high-placing NCAA cross country teams at Nationals,” Wiley continued. “I hope to have multiple really good indoor and outdoor performances and make national finals. After I leave, I hope I am lucky enough to go professional like so many of Colorado’s runners have.”
One of the big advantages the University of Colorado has to offer to Wiley compared to other schools is the ability to constantly train and run at elevation, which Wiley noted as being influential in her decision. Many professional runners either move or regularly visit areas of elevation to train and strengthen themselves.
Colorado’s coaching staff also made a big impression on Wiley and knew the program and their vision was something she wanted to be a part of.
“When looking at colleges, I was mostly looking at long-term development/history of post-college success, resources, team culture and coaches that truly believed in me,” Wiley said. “Colorado checked all those boxes. During my time meeting Coach Burroughs and Coach Wetmore, I felt that they already had a vision of goals for me and what they thought I could achieve. They were honest in promising me the work wouldn’t be easy, but it would be rewarding, and I really respected that. The resources were amazing, and they have built a great program around athlete nutrition, which I think is very important in women’s running.”
Colorado’s program boasts a long-standing history of success, having won NCAA Women’s Cross Country National Championships in 2000, 2004 and 2018 and producing over two dozen professional runners and 12 Olympic runners since 2000, highlighted by Emma Coburn and Jenny Simpson, both of whom earned bronze medals at the 2016 Summer Olympics. Wiley hopes to join the quickly growing list of program alumni to continue their running careers after college.
While the quality of the program is of course important, Wiley also recognizes that feeling comfortable in her new surroundings was also an important piece of the decision. She enjoys the feel of Boulder and thinks it combines some of the best things about the Midwest with new experiences and opportunities.
“I am very excited that I will be able to run 10 minutes and be at the foot of the mountains,” Wiley said. “I’m excited for the fact that Colorado is a whole new place, but has characteristics of home. I will still have warm summers, snowy winters, beautiful fall weather, not exactly like the Midwest, but not too different from what other Midwest girls on the team have told me. I’m excited to experience a different culture.”
“From my time visiting Boulder, it was very obvious that it’s a health-friendly community in terms of fitness and environment, so I am looking forward to being part of that community,” Wiley continued. “Lastly, it is an area where there is always something to do. Boulder is filled with shops and restaurants, easy trips up into the mountains and so much more. Best of all, it’s like living in a city and the country all at once. The city has a lot to do, but it isn’t a noisy or overwhelming type of city, but in just a short drive, you are in a country setting with access to an uncountable number of running trails.”
The primary events Wiley will run for the Buffaloes are the 800 and 1,500 meter runs, though she also anticipates being able to explore different events, including the 5,000 meter run, 4x400 meter relay and steeplechase.
In the classroom, Wiley plans to major in speech, language and hearing sciences with the goal of becoming a speech pathologist. Wiley was excited that Colorado not only had the major, but that the program is also a strong one with excellent opportunities in the field.
“Colorado has great access to hands-on learning opportunities and certificates you can earn in line with your regular degree to help you graduate ready for employment,” Wiley said. “I met some of the professors from this major and they are very supportive of student-athletes, which is important since I will be competing during the whole school year.”
Wiley noted the immense support of her friends and family as being a critical component of getting to this point of her athletic career, and knows their support will continue to inspire her during her career with the Buffaloes.
“I am so thankful for my incredibly supportive family,” Wiley said. “None of my success would be possible without my mom. I would really like to thank my grandparents, Grandma and Grandpa Wiley and Bentley, for always being my biggest supporters. My two best friends, my sister Libby and Maddie Husband, have always been my two best cheerleaders. Lastly, Lauren Johnson. I can’t thank her enough for being a friend, all her support and inspiring me by showing how successful a woman with drive and determination can be athletically and in life.”
“This has been a goal for her to compete at the next level from a young age, though originally it was to play soccer,” her mother Stacy Wiley said. “She impresses me every day with her work ethic and determination; she has sacrificed so much to get to this level. I am very excited for this opportunity for her and can’t wait to see where she can take this.”
“As Addy’s sister, I am beyond proud of her for taking this next step in her life,” Libby Wiley said. “I cannot wait to see how much Addy grows as a person over the next couple years and continues to compete and advance her skills in running.”
Monday’s signing ceremony made Wiley’s commitment official after having verbally committed to the Buffaloes on Friday, Nov. 5.
“It’s so nice to finally have a plan,” Wiley said. “Talking to colleges is exciting at first, but quickly becomes stressful, so I am glad the process is over. Now, I get to connect more with girls that I know will be my future teammates. It also takes a lot of pressure off my upcoming track season. I obviously want to improve and get better, but now I know I’m not competing for spots on teams; I’m competing to have fun and be the best I can be.”
