Student Athlete of the Week: Evelyn Majka

Evelyn Majka chose quite the time to deliver the first home run of her life.

Playing in her final Niwot High School softball home game and navigating the emotions that come with it, Majka belted a Senior Day homer on Oct. 3. The first baseman entered the game against Silver Creek High School with only one extra-base hit on the season, making her blast particularly special.

"It was really shocking," Majka said of her home run. "I did not expect it at all, and it was shocking to everybody else. It was also super exciting and really empowering. I felt really proud."

To add an exclamation point to her accomplishment, Majka spent her freshman year at Silver Creek before transferring to Niwot as a sophomore. "That was also motivation," Majka joked.

Niwot proceeded to reach the Class 4A state tournament for the second straight season before falling to Holy Family High School in the first round. Still, Majka remains proud of what she and the Cougars accomplished this year.

"It was really exciting that we made it that far," she said. "I don't think at the beginning of the season we thought we would make it that far, but we all worked together and worked really hard to get where we were. We were all super excited and proud. Even though we lost, it wasn't super sad."

Majka finished her second and final varsity season with a .200 batting average, five runs batted in, and nine stolen bases. Equally as important, she committed only two errors at first base, according to MaxPreps.

Besides her Senior Day home run, Majka said she'll always remember a pair of lengthy road trips she and the Cougars took this season.

"This year, when we traveled to Grand Junction and Pueblo, that was a really good team bonding experience, and we had a lot of fun," Majka said. "Those trips had some really good memories."

Majka's time at NHS will end sooner than most of her senior classmates as she's expected to graduate after this semester. Although excited to get her degree, she's anticipating a bittersweet next couple of months.

"It's sad, but I think I'm ready for it," she said. "I'm really excited for the next steps."

Majka plans on saving up money by working this spring before attending college next year. She's not sure where that will be just yet, but she hopes to study either criminal justice or international development.

"I've always been interested in criminal justice and criminology," Majka said. "For international development, my dad has worked with a lot of not-for-profit organizations that help stop poverty. That really inspired me."