Gaunt earns trio of awards at Dean

Johnston native Haley Gaunt is wrapping up a historic athletic career at Dean College, where she has played soccer and lacrosse the past four seasons.

Gaunt, who took home a state championship in soccer with the Panthers, recently earned a trio of awards to cap off her final college season. She took home the Michelle Porter Award, recognizing her as Dean’s Female Athlete of the Year. She also won team MVP for soccer and Offensive Player of the Year in lacrosse. 

Gaunt was a team captain as goalie of the soccer team and broke the lacrosse program’s all-time scoring record as she finished her career with 151 goals.

“I’ve wanted (the Michelle Porter Award) all four years that I’ve been here and I worked so hard to even just be nominated for it. To make a difference for each team, to be recognized, it’s the best feeling in the world,” said Gaunt.

Gaunt was unsure of what her athletic future would hold after tearing both of her meniscuses during her junior soccer season. Although the recovery was sometimes a daunting process, it ultimately helped motivate her to not only return to the field but to be the best version of herself she could be.

“Just working hard every day. As much as it hurt I knew that I wanted to play my last two years. Just pushing through the pain and playing every game like it’s your last one because you never know. You don’t know, so you need to put it out there every single game,” said Gaunt of her mindset during her recovery. “I had a lot of recovery before practices and after practices. I just wanted to keep playing, I told myself ‘I have to do this.’”

Gaunt’s father was her biggest fan and supporter as she grew up in Johnston and passed away two weeks after she guided the Panthers to the title in 2017. Gaunt felt that she made her dad proud these past four years and remembered the lessons she learned from him through the ups and downs.

“I was thinking of my dad. He was always an athlete and before he passed away, he always pushed me. Even if you think you can’t make something happen, a record, a goal, a score, just keep pushing yourself and you’ll succeed,” said Gaunt. “He’d be very proud of me, seeing how much I’ve overcome my entire life and still pushing no matter what. He was big on ‘pain is temporary, so keep working.’”

Gaunt will now flip the page toward the next chapter of her sports career. She plans on continuing to compete in soccer and is also going to be a volunteer coach at Dean, specifically coaching the goalie position, where she ranked No. 7 in the NCAA Division III rankings.

“I’m going to be playing sports forever. I love the adrenaline rush,” said Gaunt, who will also miss some of her best friends at Dean. “I’ll always remember meeting my best friends that have the same interests as me. I’ve made my best friends at Dean and I’ll always cherish those moments with them.”