Heenan burst into the senior elite spotlight by coming in fourth in the all around and first on bars at U.S. Classic. At the U.S. National Championships, she continued her success by placing sixth in the all around and first on bars. Heenan earned a spot on the 2001 U.S. world championship team and helped the team earn a bronze medal, the first medal since 1995. She then went on to earn a bronze medal on bars, ending the individual medal drought for the U.S.