RIVERSIDE—Women's Soccer alumna Heidi Garrett was inducted into Riverside, California's Martin Luther King High School Hall of Fame earlier this month, commemorating an incredible career as a two-sport athlete for the Wolves. Garrett's success on the soccer pitch and the gridiron, led her on a path to UC Riverside where she became a Highlander in 2006, and cemented her as one of the top female athletes that the city has ever produced.
"I've always been a Riverside girl, I was born and raised here and have always gone back to support my alma maters and the Athletics programs, because that is what really shaped me into who I am now," Garrett said. "So to get a call telling me I was going to be inducted this year was really special, especially since this was just the second class of inductees for a school that has seen a lot of talent over the years. It is truly an honor."
Garrett's talent as a soccer player was hard to miss, punching in 100 goals in four seasons for the Wolves and being named to the All-League Team. Her success would continue at the next level with a five-year career at UCR that would see her land in Highlander history where she is currently ranked in the top-10 for career goals, points, assists, shots, shots on goal, and game-winners.
On the football field, Heidi was one of the few female kickers in the sport, lending her skills from soccer to help her high school's football team put points on the board. She is often remembered for an incredible moment in 2004, when she kicked a 48-yard field goal that broke the record for the longest kick made by a female player. The record still holds today, and she has been named the greatest female kicker in high school football history by MaxPreps. She finished her career with 112 points, nine field goals, and an outstanding line on PATs knocking through 85 of the 87 she attempted, including a run of 58 straight makes.
"I wanted to pick up a second sport in high school, and I already had a good leg from soccer, so it was perfect. At the time, I didn't think too much about the fact that there weren't many female football players, I just wanted to get out there, do my job, and help the team and my school," Garrett said. "When I made the 48-yarder, I couldn't even believe that I was getting the opportunity to kick it. I was so focused on doing my job that I didn't let the weight of the moment or the noise from the crowd bother me. I just went out and did what I had been taught to do, and when the referees held their arms up I screamed and grabbed my holder. It was really exciting."
Garrett graduated from UC Riverside in 2010 with a degree in Business Administration and went on to play for the San Diego WFC Sea Lions of the Women's Premier Soccer League. She is now excelling in both the world of cosmetology and health and nutrition. Her father, Rance Garrett, is still to this day a huge supporter of UC Riverside Women's Soccer and can be seen sitting in the front row of every Highlander home match.
"My family and my community are very important to me, and in fact we all pretty much stayed in the area with two of my siblings graduating from CBU," Garrett said. "My parents really instilled in us a family culture, a sense of community, and pride for where we live and who we are. I honestly didn't even look anywhere else when deciding on a college, it made sense for me to stay here and I'm really glad that I did. I had a great coach, great teammates, and I'm so grateful that I had the opportunity to be at home and play here in Riverside."
