Scheels Athlete of the Week: Even Without Soccer Season Regina’s Gaarde Has Memorable Senior Year
Ryan Murken
Your Prep Sports
Everything was going exactly the way Claire Gaarde imagined during her final year of high school athletics.
Actually, sports had gotten off to a stronger start than Gaarde could have ever imagined in her senior season at Regina.
In her first year running cross country Gaarde was part of a Regina team that finished fifth at the Class 1A state meet.
Over the winter Gaarde helped the Regina basketball team to a 16-8 record and a spot in a Class 2A regional final.
“100 percent, that was more than what I was expecting,” Gaarde said of the basketball season. “I was definitely not expecting what happened but it was a really fun season.”
The success in cross country and basketball was supposed to serve as a leadup for Gaarde to her favorite sport – soccer.
After helping the Regals exceed expectations during the fall and winter sports season Gaarde knew the spring would be her chance to shine.
Instead, that chance never came as the COVID-19 pandemic caused the cancellation of all spring sports in Iowa.
“Since the last game last season, on the bus ride home we were already talking about this year,” Gaarde said. “We knew that this was our year.”
Gaarde had plenty of reason for optimism heading into her senior season.
A multi-sport athlete throughout her prep career, Gaarde also enjoyed soccer above any other sport.
It showed on the field.
A four-year starter with 26 goals to her credit she was coming off the best season of her career as a junior when she led Regina with 21 goals.
“My parents kept me busy at it at a young age and I grew the passion for it starting young,” Gaarde said. “I think playing with my friends, our senior group we have been playing soccer together since we all started in kindergarten, playing with them has also drawn my love for it. Playing any game with your best friends is going to be fun.”
Soccer excellence has been a part of the Gaarde family for years.
Before Claire led Regina in goals last season older sister Lauren was the top goal scorer for the Regals in both 2017 and 2018.
Claire and Lauren shared the field those two seasons something Claire was looking forward to doing again this season with younger sister Grace.
“There are those moments where you are proud as a teammate but as a sister you are just so happy for them,” Gaarde said of playing with her sister. “Just having those memories and bonds with my older sister is amazing. I got to play basketball with Grace so we got a sport together but playing soccer with her would have been great because we would have been the same position playing up top with her.”
Regina was a state semifinalist in 2018 before going 8-11 a year ago.
The record last season wasn’t eye-popping but came against a schedule filled with ranked opponents and Class 2A and 3A foes.
This season expectations were high with eight starters returning, a strong freshman class joining the fold and seniors Claire Sullivan and Emma Welter returning from injuries.
“Just not getting the chance to prove to everyone that we were a state championship winning team this year,” Gaarde said. “I know it sounds cocky and far-fetched but we all truly believed that this was our year. We were such a strong team this year and not getting a chance to show everyone the team we were is really hard.”
Gaarde imagined finishing her prep athletic career at the state soccer tournament instead it came to an early end with basketball season last month.
Rather than focus on the disappointment of missing out on soccer due to the pandemic Gaarde, who plans to study elementary education at Iowa State next fall, is opting to remain optimistic.
“I was going on runs every day just to stay active for soccer and I still am because working out has really helped mentally with this whole thing,” Gaarde said. “It’s disappointing to not have soccer but I’m happy I had so many amazing memories from high school and this year.”
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