After an extended search for her next destination to continue her tennis career, Clara Thoemke, a senior now, decided on Winona State University because of the community and kindness that she experienced on her visit during her senior year at Simley High School. Looking back, Thoemke has accomplished plenty during her time with the Warriors, but she still has a lot of fight left before collegiate career closes.
Thoemke said, “I also just really enjoyed meeting the girls, my teammates. I didn’t really get that sense of a team, kind of like a family at many other schools, as I did here”
When Thoemke arrived at Winona, she looked towards a guide for the first step of her journey. The freshman learned under Beth Murman and Rachel Kelly. Two senior players that provided the leadership necessary to help pave the way for Thoemke to take the next steps towards her journey. Murman was a two-time singles and three-time doubles honoree for the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference (NSIC). Kelly finished her career with multiple first-team all-conference honors in her senior season. Thoemke gained experience and knowledge from these two that helped her improve in her next coming seasons.
The coming years for Thoemke helped pivot towards developing her game in single match action. She improved her singles record against steeper competition. That jump would rocket in her third season, where she picked up an 11-7 singles record. This improvement would be honored by the NSIC as she would receive second-team all-conference singles honors for her season. Thoemke consistently put the time into improving her craft, which is one of her biggest strengths as an athlete.
Thoemke confirmed, “I’ve had years of experience to get to this point where I know how to pull myself out of those situations, but it’s confidence in yourself, confidence in your cheering section and just knowing it’s not over until it’s over.”
Thoemke’s mindset helped drive her to be one of the top tennis players for Winona State. She noted a performance she had against St. Cloud State University on Jan. 31. She trailed in a singles match against Margarita Vinichenko, zero sets to five, with a love-30 deficit in the sixth. Thoemke overcame the odds and won 13 consecutive sets to secure the singles victory. A staggering feat. This rally is just a small glimpse of this Warrior’s killer mentality.
Thoemke talked about her senior season, and how it impacts her mindset for the rest of the year.
“You try every single thing in your toolbox you’ve done everything you can, that’s all you can really be proud of, honestly. So that’s honestly my goal, just to walk away saying I’ve absolutely given it”
In her senior season, Thoemke holds a 4-1 singles record. She sees her final season as an opportunity to give every ounce of effort she can as the season continues. She will head to Orlando, Fla. with the women’s tennis team for their spring break matches. They will then return to the Midwest with an NSIC match against the University of Jamestown on Mar. 20. Thoemke will be looking to continue to dominate in singles action.
Brian Thoemke • Feb 25, 2026 at 4:03 pm
Congrats Clara and Warriors!!!