Student Athlete of the Week Thalia Almaraz

Speedy point guard Thalia Almaraz is a large reason why the Niwot High School girls basketball team stands 2-0 on the young season.

While those around her tired, Almaraz only grew stronger when Niwot and Mountain Range High School entered overtime on Friday, Dec. 6. The fourth-year varsity player embraced the extra minutes and scored five points in Niwot's 66-59 victory.

"What kept me going was my mindset and just believing in myself," Almaraz said of her heroic overtime effort.

Almaraz finished the game with 13 points and played strong on-ball defense throughout the night. Most importantly, Niwot improved to 2-0 for the first time since the 2015-16 season.

"We have a lot (of confidence)," Almaraz said. "We're 2-0, and it's been a while since we've done that."

In many ways, Almaraz epitomizes the type of player head coach Todd Trobaugh wants in his program. Trobaugh, who is navigating his second season at Niwot's helm, remains baffled at Almaraz's seemingly never-ending battery.

"She's like the Energizer bunny," Trobaugh said. "When I think she's done, I'll bring her over to the bench and she says, 'Coach, I'm fine.' We put her right back in and you saw what she did. You can't turn her off. She's amazing, and she gets stronger as the game goes on. She got better and made more better-quality plays as the game went on."

Along with trusting her own abilities, Almaraz finds strength in her teammates' support. Fellow seniors Hadie Adams, Madison Ackerman, Peyton Rhodes and Jiselle Sales are among those who've helped fuel Almaraz's impressive drive.

"I'm feeding off my teammates," Almaraz said. "Them believing and them cheering you on and having that faith [helps]."

Almaraz's improved offensive production can be traced back to late last season. After not scoring more than eight points in a game all year, she closed her junior campaign with four straight 11-plus-point performances, including a 16-point effort against Skyline High School.

While she's only two games into her senior season, Almaraz remains mindful that her high school basketball career will soon come to a close.

"I'm cherishing every moment and showing up every day," Almaraz said. "It is emotional because time flies."

From now until the buzzer sounds on her senior season, Almaraz aims to maintain her all-out approach. She also hopes to fulfill her longtime "dream" of playing college basketball.

"My goals are dedicating myself to basketball and school," she said. "(I'm) pushing myself so I can go to college one day and play basketball."