Student Athlete of the Week Jenna Hobson

Switching high schools often comes with its challenges but for Jenna Hobson, her transition from Boulder to Niwot High School was made easier thanks to a "welcoming" softball program.

Now in the midst of her third and final varsity softball season at Niwot, the senior looks back fondly on her time with the Cougars.

"We've been talking about senior night the whole season," Hobson said. "I'm so sad to leave everyone. They're my best friends. You don't know them and then they're the people that you talk to the most. It's what's most amazing about team sports."

Hobson, a speedy center fielder who already owns four stolen bases on the season, and four other seniors, including longtime friend and first baseman Zoe Cameron, have just over one month until their final regular season home game on Oct. 3. After leaving Boulder following her freshman year, Hobson remains grateful for how she was embraced by her Niwot teammates.

"One of the main things about Niwot softball is that we just try to become whole," Hobson said.

In her lone season with the Panthers, Hobson hit .351 in 37 at-bats. She then struggled as a Niwot sophomore, though, and produced a .172 batting average. Since then, she raised her average over 100 points last season and is now batting .308 through Aug. 27.

After managing only one hit in her first three games, Hobson got going with two knocks in Niwot's 15-0 win over Thompson Valley on Aug. 24. Two days later, she followed that up with another hit in another blowout of Peak to Peak.

Hobson has so far been pleased with how she and her Niwot teammates are performing early in the new campaign.

"I feel like I'm coming out pretty strong," she said. 'It's my senior year, so I'm just trying to have fun, hang out with everyone and play as best as I can."

Aided by Hobson, the Cougars' offense is averaging over nine runs per game, which has Niwot off to a 4-2 start (2-2 4A Longs Peak).

"We focus on offense a lot," Hobson said. "I think that this year, we've really started that pretty strong. That's also because we've been coming together as a team a lot. The connection with this team has been really good. We've all been doing what we need to do, getting it done and helping each other mentally. Because especially (with) hitting, that's such a mental thing. We've been really good and keeping the energy doing all that stuff."

With other family members in the military, Hobson is considering joining an ROTC (Reserve Officers' Training Corps) program in college.