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Toeaina to be inducted into UO Hall of Fame

Toeaina

Matt Toeaina and Tia Medeiros knew the word would arrive someday.

Nicole Toeaina — known as Nicole Garbin when she lived on Maui — wasn’t so sure she would ever enter the University of Oregon Hall of Fame.

The 2001 Baldwin High School graduate received word last week that she will, indeed, be formally enshrined in late September or early October.

“After we graduated my husband would always say: ‘You know you’re going to be inducted into the Hall of Fame, the Oregon Hall of Fame,’ “ Nicole Toeaina, 35, said

Wednesday from her home in Brentwood, Calif. “I was, like, ‘What? What is that? I don’t even know, how does that happen?’ He’s like, ‘You have so many accomplishments, you’ve achieved so much there, you’re definitely going to get in.’ “

Nicole Toeaina, formerly Garbin, holds the University of Oregon record for career goals (34). UNIVERSITY OF OREGON photo

It’s been 11 years since Toeaina won the Pac-10 women’s soccer player of the year award — she is the only Duck ever to do so. Hall eligibility rules require a decade to have passed after finishing at Oregon.

Toeaina holds the school record for career goals (34), and for game-winning goals in a career (22) and single season (nine).

Toeaina, who also played basketball for the Ducks, is married to Matt Toeaina, who spent six seasons with the Chicago Bears after playing for Oregon. They have five children — Nella, 8, Mia, 6, Micah, 3, Nova, 1 1/2, and 3-month-old Makena — and the older ones have a bit of a handle on their mom’s soccer skills.

“I was playing in a lot of recreational adult leagues and when we lived in Chicago I would drag the kids along to watch,” Toeaina said. “They were like, ‘Mom, you’re really good.’ I would have to explain to them, ‘Well, back in the day …’ My oldest one has my picture up in her room, an action photo in an Oregon uniform.”

At Baldwin, Toeaina was part of state championship teams in 2000 and 2001 — those teams are still the only ones from the Neighbor Islands to have won a title.

“Not only is she the best soccer player, I think she’s one of the best athletes ever from Maui,” said Medeiros, who played on those teams and now coaches the Bears. “Honestly, I can’t think of anybody besides Prestine (Foster) who comes even close to Nicole Garbin as far as the best female athletes to ever come out of Maui, period. … I swear that girl can do anything.”

When Toeaina comes home to visit, Medeiros invites her to talk to the current Bears.

“They get this look on their faces, like, ‘Oh, that’s Nicole, that’s Nicole.’ I’m not exactly sure the stories that they hear — probably from their parents, and maybe brothers and sisters — but she’s pretty much a legend in the athletic community here on Maui,” Medeiros said. “She wasn’t the craziest person, but, man, just the way she played, the way she carried herself. I think just her intimidation factor — she was pretty good at intimidating people.”

Toeaina overcame anterior cruciate ligament tears in each knee that cost her complete seasons in 2002 and 2004. In 2006, her final season, she scored 12 goals — tied for the second-best total in program history.

“I wasn’t thinking player of the year, I was hoping for first team because I was always second team — ‘Come on, put me on that first team,’ “ she said. “When they announced it, I was like, ‘I busted my butt for this and I’m just so proud.’ “

After school she thought of, but opted against, playing professionally or perhaps giving the U.S. national team a shot.

For the last three years, the Toeainas have run the Toeaina Training Academy out of their backyard, free of charge to local girls.

“Basically, everything I learned at Oregon, that’s what we do here,” Nicole Toeaina said. “We have some soccer players, there’s basketball players, track, wrestling, tennis. They just come here, they sleep in our (in-home) theater, we feed them for the whole week for spring break or one week in the summer. We speak to the kids about, ‘Stay focused in school, stay focused on your sport and getting better.’ “

* Robert Collias is at rcollias@mauinews.com.

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