“Sports have impacted my life in a major way,” acknowledged Guler.  “They have helped me evolve from the shy freshman girl who would barely speak, to a leader who is not afraid to tell people to work harder.  Sports may only be a part of my life for a small time, but they are a crucial part in my character.  Sports has brought me a family of new people and I will never take that for granted.

Head Girls Basketball Coach Brian Korf has high praise for Guler, “Maddie was very coachable and a hard worker.  She was another coach on the court as the point guard and a leader in the locker room.”

She will be participating in basketball and track and field at Concordia College in Moorhead as she majors in Biology/Psychology.  Her favorite high school subject is Calculus.

Track and Field Coach John Peter on Guler, “Maddie has been an important part of our team for the past five years.  She has been a team leader in workouts since ninth grade and is one of the fiercest competitors I have coached.  Like Abby Syverson, Guler’s event range has been huge, stretching from the 100 meter dash up thru the 800 and this year was planning to Long Jump in order to help the team achieve its goals.  She was an important part of the 2017 Section Championship team as well as the 2018 and 2019 True Team Section Championship teams.  She has also been a mainstay in our team’s 4x400 meter relay team over the past half-decade.”

“Not being in school and not being able to have a competitive track season has been hard,” admitted Guler, “but I know that this pandemic is bigger than sports and I need to work through this period.  I have continued to do workouts so I can be stronger once I get to college.  There have been some hard days that I have had to push through, but everyone is in the same boat right now, so I know I am not alone.”

Cross Country Coach Steve Maresh weighs in on Guler’s impact on his team, “Maddie is as tough as they come.  It doesn’t matter what the conditions are, she will outdo her competitors in every aspect.  Her aggressive work ethic allows her to achieve more than what one would think she was capable of.”

Maddie says her advice to underclassmen may sound like a cliché, but, “never take anything for granted.  This spring has really put that into perspective for me.  One day I was playing in the state basketball tournament and the next I was being told that my season was being cut short and I wouldn’t even get the opportunity to have a senior track season.  If anything, the underclassmen can learn immensely from this.  This pandemic shows us how life can really throw a curveball at you.”