Student Athlete of the Week: Mariah Fletemeyer

As the starting goalkeeper and captain for Niwot High School girls varsity soccer, junior Mariah Fletemeyer approaches each game with a focus on precision, consistency, and constant improvement.

"My mindset as a captain is just to keep learning," Fletemeyer said. "I know my team and my coaches always have my back, so I just want to always be adapting to help my team be successful."

That mindset has already paid off. Last season as a sophomore, Fletemeyer tallied 93 saves and allowed just 19 goals, giving her an impressive 80 percent save rate before her season ended prematurely due to an injury. In a position where every moment matters and a single misstep can swing a game, she thrives under pressure.

"There's not a lot of room for mistakes for a goalkeeper," she said. "But I love getting to be technical, aggressive, and precise."

"Mariah is an amazing competitor," Head Coach Stephen Dimit said. "In goal, she has put the team on her shoulders and carried us to shutouts that would have been impossible without her effort and belief."

Fletemeyer has played goalkeeper ever since her father, Luke, coached her recreation team and first handed her gloves and a penny. That early experience stuck with her, and so did her love for the position. Now, as one of the most experienced players on the team, she is a steady presence in the net and a vocal leader on the field.

"As a team, our goals are to be consistent and to always focus on how we can become more united on and off the field," Fletemeyer said. "And individually, my goal is always to never stop working."

That leadership has made an impact in ways that go beyond practices and games. "As our team captain, she is always thinking about her teammates and how to make the season better," Dimit said. "Mariah is one of the best examples of a true student-athlete at Niwot: hardworking on the field and in the classroom."

Her leadership extends off the field as well. At Niwot, Fletemeyer runs the Women's Sports Club, which works to raise money and awareness for girls' athletics. Whether she is advocating for better attendance at games or planning fundraising efforts, she is passionate about creating a more supportive culture around girls' sports.

It is a reflection of how seriously she takes not just her role as goalkeeper, but also as a teammate and athlete at Niwot.

One of her favorite moments from the season so far came off the field. Following a muddy, freezing road game in Fort Morgan on April 3, the team celebrated an 8-0 win together on the bus ride home.

"It was so muddy and so cold, but we got to have a blast after a big win," she said.

Off the field, Fletemeyer is just as focused. Her favorite class this year is AP Government, where she says she has learned a lot and been challenged in new ways.

Another key part of her routine is attention to detail. It is something she believes separates average performances from excellent ones, especially in the goalkeeper position.

"One thing people may not realize is how important routine and detail are," she said. "The amount of adrenaline we pour into every practice and game keeps us going and helps us to continue working on the same things to get them perfectly."

With her focus, drive, and experience, Fletemeyer continues to be a reliable anchor for the Cougars both on and off the field, and a reminder of what it means to lead by example.