By Marissa Scott — Content Editor
Whether it’s hardwood, grass or a track, women’s soccer defender Haleigh Wynne is a natural-born leader on every playing field she steps on.
The level-headed Libra asserts herdominance on the field and showsthat she will give her all to win.
“I am loud all of the time, on andoff the field,” Wynne said. “During games, I am super aggressive and if you’re in my way, it’s a problem. Iwill get there first.”
The determined nature on the field started at the age of four.
The Canyon Lake, Calif. native played many sports growing up and eventually narrowed it down to four in high school.
Wynne played soccer, volleyball, football and ran track in high school. She was the kicker for the varsity football team as a freshman and sophomore after the coach insisted she join when he saw her play around with a football.
Much to her parents’ chagrin, she decided that joining the football team would be an opportunity not many girls get.
“Her dad told her no because he was afraid she would get hurt,” said Kim Wynne, Haleigh’s mother. “She told her dad she was doing it anyways.”
Wynne’s never-back-down attitude has taken her far in her athletic career.
She is competitive and will showcase her talents no matter the importance of the game, which is how she made it to a Division I institution.
The moment young Haleigh stepped onto the soccer field, her mom knew that sports were her calling.
“She is an extremely physical player. She isn’t afraid of the ball and physical contact,” her mom said. “So she never backs down and she is probably the most competitive person, next to my husband, I have ever met.”
A Libra’s tendency to create balance and play fair gives them a commanding presence on the field that is difficult to replace.
“If she wants to score a goal, she’ll do it. If she wants to hold the ball for us up top and help make stuff happen, she’ll do it,” said teammate and close friend Natasha Harris. “Sometimes she’s super hard on herself, but she’s good at switching her mindsets to get the job done.”
While she can be commanding and aggressive on the field, Wynne also has a motherly instinct when it comes to her teammates.
Libra’s are known for their selfless nature and they take pride in putting other people’s needs and wants before their own.
The defender refers to herself as the “mom” of the freshmen because she always puts them first.
“She’s a person that you can always go to when you’re down or need advice, whether it’s on or off the field,” Harris said.
Wynne believes that her zodiac sign and the traits surrounding it is something she can relate to. The freshman got the Libra symbol tattooed on her wrist about a year ago.
In her first year with the Spartans,the freshman had three goals — all game winning. After she scored her first goal of the season in Nevada,Wynne started all 10 games following the 2-1 win over the Wolf Pack.
“I took advantage of the opportunities in Nevada that weekend,” Haleigh said. “That’s why I was able to start the second half of the season, and I worked hard for it.”
Her parents hoped that as soon as she scored those goals in Nevada and the coaches realized how great of an addition to the team she is, that she would begin to start more games.
The Libra hopes to continue to help win games for the Spartans in her years to come. Her commandeering of the field and dedication to help the team succeed shows just what Wynne brings to the squad.
“In the beginning it was pretty bumpy and she wasn’t starting,” her mom said. “I think they realized that Haleigh has a real drive to win and she will do whatever it takes. If you tell Haleigh ‘this is what I need, this is what I want,’ she will deliver or she will die trying.”
Her dedication to winning and doing anything she can to help the team’s success was noticed by head coach Lauren Hanson and eventually was made a starter for the rest of the season.
Wynne also got to start the most important games of the season — the entire Mountain West tournament and the first game of the NCAA tournament against UCLA.
Although her success on the field doesn’t go unnoticed, she believes her teammates and their chemistry is most important when it comes to winning games.
“Everybody has their own role. We are all pretty equal and we need every part of it to do what we do,” Haleigh said. “I think that it is definitely the best dynamic on a team that you could have. Everybody is important, everybody does their part and we get done what we need to get done.”
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