HHS's Roxanna Jensen has battled back

One of the most devastating things that can happen to an athlete in any stage of his or her career is to suffer a major injury. Knee injuries seem to be more and more common, and while they may be serious, they can be overcome.

Havre High senior Roxanna Jensen has had to come back from a serious knee injury, not once, but twice.

Jensen is a key component for the Blue Pony softball team. She is the starting shortstop for head coach Danny Wirtzberger, as well as one of the more consistant bats in the lineup. Jensen is also fresh off of her senior hockey season as a Havre Ice Hawks defender. Jensen also played two years of volleyball for the Ponies, but has been a hockey player since fourth grade, and has played baseball and softball since kindergarten. Jensen played baseball growing up, and didn’t switch to softball until eighth grade.

But as a senior, Jensen is set to finish just her second complete season of HHS softball.

Toward the end of her sophomore softball season, Jensen slipped at home plate on a rainy afternoon, suffering her first setback. She nursed the ACL injury all summer, and thought she was ready for action come volleyball season. But mid way through her junior season, Jensen tore her ACL during volleyball drills, ending her season as well as eliminating the opportunity to play hockey or softball a year ago.

But despite the setbacks, Jensen is now one of two HHS senior leaders on the softball program this year. And if she and fellow senior Davee McLeod have their way, they will be leading the Ponies to their first state tournament since 2010, Jensen’s freshman season. Jensen was one of three freshman — Jensen, McLeod and Mary Lyons — to have a major impact on the varsity program, but now hopes to return to state even hungrier for a state title.

The Havre Daily News took time to sit down with Jensen to ask her a few questions.

HDN: How tough was it not being able to play softball and hockey because of your knee injury?

Jensen: “It was pretty hard. Hockey wasn’t too bad because I knew I could still play my senior season, but it was especially hard for softball. Softball was tougher because it was for the school, and I was almost ready for the season, but my coach (Mike Thill) wouldn’t let me play or practice. I kind of got tired of that, because he didn’t want me to hurt my knee again, and I wanted to play. I was also friends with all of the seniors, and now they are gone and now there are only two of us seniors. It is still fun, and I am glad I got to play this year. I would rather miss my junior year over my senior year.”

HDN: Would you say you are more of a softball player who likes to play hockey, or a hockey player who likes to play softball?

Jensen: “That one is hard because they are both my favorite sports. But I would probably have to say that I am a softball player that likes to play hockey because I am a lot better at softball than I ever was hockey. I have been playing baseball and softball a lot longer, and hockey is more the sport I just like to play, even though I am not that good at it.”

HDN: As a senior, how badly do you and the rest of the Blue Ponies want to make the state tournament?

Jensen: “I feel like we want this really bad. This team is good, and there is a lot of potential, and I think we play very well when we play hard. When we do that, I feel like we are right up there with anybody else, and as long as we all want it, and work hard, then we can make I think. And we do want it a lot.”

HDN: Why do you think the team has played so much better at home than on the road this season?

Jensen: “I don’t really know why that is. And I don’t want to make up excuses, but I don’t know if we get tired on trips, or if we just like our home crowd. I just don’t know exactly, but it is good we play well at home I think.”

HDN: How does the team feel about having a divisional tournament this season?

Jensen: “We are. It is a good opportunity for us to see where we are at compared to other teams, and just see how good we play late in the season. I think we will play really hard, and I think it is really good we got to play at home; I think that just makes us all feel a lot more comfortable.”